Dear WYPIPO #WeTriedToTellYa is Code for Listen to Black People

And before the "not all white people" whine cranks up if you listened to black people this post is NOT directed at you.

pic.twitter.com/LW5maC2iHM

— Sean (@datson1992) May 10, 2017

So, how is that peaceful transfer of power thingy working out for you?  Is America Great Again yet?

#WeTiredToTellYa there was something rotten in the cotton in 2016 but did you listen?  Nope.  Because we can't tell ya'll nothin' which means you're incapable of learning or willfully ignorant.

#WeTriedToTellYa you were putting evil in the White House.  We knew what we had to lose.

#WeTriedToTellYa how ignorant Trump and his people are.

#WeTriedToTellYa Russians Targeted Blacks More Than Any Other Group In 2016 Disinformation Campaign -

#WeTriedToTellYa Elections have consequences

It's the white male-dominated media.  That's why the candidate with the most votes lost the Electoral College Congress certified.

Happy Now?

Things the Second Amendment to the Constitituion does NOT allow We the People to do

Image Time magazine

 I am still trying to figure out how  a well regulated militia being necessary to a free State, the right of the people to bear arms shall not be infringed on   morphed into... an armed, unregulated populace who have the right to cling to  assault weapons just in the case there is a need to overthrow the government.

Allow me to set the record straight.

The well regulated militia the 2nd amendment refers to were slave patrols, land stealer's and Indian killers...all necessary to a the security of a free state....built with stolen labor on stolen land.

 

The 2nd amendment does not mean we the people can protect ourselves from our government in the event they abuse our civil liberties.

The 2nd amendment does not mean we the people can rise up and over throw the government of the United States of America when they infringe upon our civil rights

 

The 2nd amendment does not mean we the people can protect ourselves, or our homes, from government intrusion.

The 2nd amendment does not give we the people the right to overthrow the government when they take our rights away.

 

The 2nd amendment does not give we the people the right to overthrow our  government when they dismantle democracy.

This is the reality of what we the people must do to protect ourselves from our government.

"To protect ourselves from government, we must improve education and free access to voting and exercising that right to vote, and become the rulers of our government that our Constitution was supposed to make us.  And for good education, we must improve rules governing the media which massively shapes public opinion.  Today, we have 90% of our media concentrated in ownership by 6 or 7 mega-corporations.  The news we get is materially altered for corporate profit and not for truth or good democratic government.
Ultimately, i think that unbridled capitalism (such as ours has become) and good democracy are at odds.  We have become a corporatocracy from a democracy, let's face it."

Today marks one month since 20 children and 6 women were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

 Gun advocates are ginning up fear because it's good for business.

Senator Rand Paul (r. KY) and Rep. Steve Stockman (r. TX) are threatening to impeach the President over gun control that hasn't even happened yet.

Let us march on until victory is won...at the ballot box.

"Fast and Furious" Saturday Open Thread~Updated

H/T Jobsanger

Zimmerman Audio Tapes Bring Into Question Credibility.  Again.

• I hope people know the reason why he's saying Trayvon Martin said those words and the way he said it right? It's because he want to make Trayvon sound like a thug and he know white people will back him(Zimmerman) if Trayvon is labeled as a thug

• No what it does is try to make Trayvon Martin look like a hood or a a hoodlum. Because black people don't say "homey" no more and also when he got shot ain't nobody going to say "all man you got me" but see white people still think black people still talk like that. So now they like its more believable for white people because most of them have that kind of stereotype upon black people

Making a living off of Government Contracts coming to a school district near you!

Race Baiting for Votes goes on and on....

It's tough to stop Voter Fraud when there is none. 

Did we see the republican playbook for  2012?  Steal the November Election?!?!

Report:  Issa Staffer offered to stop Holder Contempt vote in exchange for the resignation of Assistant Attorney General Lanny Beurer. 

During a phone call last week with a senior Justice official, Issa's chief investigative counsel, Stephen Castor, broached a possible settlement. As the conversation began, according to two sources familiar with the conversation, Castor asked the official where things stood on "accountability." By that, Castor meant would any heads roll at Justice. Castor mentioned Lanny Breuer, the head of the department's Criminal Division, whom Republicans had been gunning for because of his knowledge of gun-walking techniques that had been used during the Bush administration. (Their theory was that Breuer should have taken aggressive steps to ensure that such measures were not repeated in future operations.) According to these sources, Castor said that if Breuer resigned, they could head off the looming constitutional clash. 

New Pressures on Corbett's Failure to Prosecute Sandusky When He Had the Chance 

They are not Happy in Happy Valley

Playing Catch Up Blog Stroll

I'm back! Once again my real life and my blogging life collide with my real life winning the battle for my undivided attention, as it should be.  Thank you to those who continue to read even when I don't post.  It never ceases to amaze and humble me that you continue to read, and what you read, when I'm away from my keyboard.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support.

Back to life, back to reality?  I'm going to admit being bummed out and burned out last week.  Between the Supreme Court abdicating their obligation to administer justice in the Don Siegelman case, and Scott Walker winning the Wisconsin  recall (am I the only one who a smells a rat here?  Nope.), it was like real democrats couldn't buy a break.  Then it hit me...democrats can't buy a break because we can't afford to buy a break.  Thanks to this Supreme Court we have the best democracy the corporations can buy.  Gone are the days when we could look to the Supreme Court to rectify injustice and administer liberty and justice for all.  Gone are the days of fair and free elections.  I sure do miss the good old days...when all we had to worry about was who was getting nekid in the White House.  Sigh

But the American right — whose roots are found in Jeffersonian libertarianism and the Jacksonian alliance of small southern farmers and northern white workers — is moving further right, and pulling the Republican Party with it. It’s fueled by economic fears combined with racism, anti-immigrant nativism, and southern white evangelical Christians.

All I'm going to say is if President Obama doesn't get re-elected it will be his own damn fault.  I don't know what part of you can't compromise with people who hate you because of the color of your skin and your party he doesn't understand.  Really I don't.  Blacks voters are going to do our part, as we don't have a choice,  not so sure about white democrats.  Can't say I blame them.  Really I can't.

Schools out for the Summer, but the WARdynski on public education continues, aided and enabled by the private corporations.  Thank goodness for those who ripple the water despite the risk and the threats.  Thank goodness for those who gear up and fight for the children who are our future, despite the prevailing view that black/brown/poor children can't, or don't want to learn, just because they are black/brown and poor.

Mayberry RFD Auburn Alabama Style!  Yeee Hawww!  Acting on a tip from two sources who informed them accused killer Desmonte Phillips was hold up in the attic of a private residence in Montgomery, AL,  the Auburn and Montgomery Police Departments, Alabama State Troopers, ABI and the FBI, armed with guns, tear gas,helicopters, night vision goggles, amplified microphones, thermal imaging, and dogs destroyed the wrong home.   Not the wrong home in that he was in another home... Ooops!

Compare and Contrast Desmonte Phillips and George Zimmerman.  Thanks to the resident righty at Left in Alabama I see I'm not the only one wondering if Desmonte Phillips was Standing his Ground.  Check this out..after hoping law enforcement didn't hurt themselves, I mean get hurt during the raid, radio boy post a tweet from George Talbot of the Mobile Press Register  of an alleged on the scene report from the night the Auburn shootings took place.  You can read the whole thing for yourself, and I agree with radio boy, it seems pretty accurate, but this is what jumped out at me and made me go hmmmmm....

My friend and I were able to get up pretty close. Saw one of the bodies. He’s lying on his back, kinda sprawled out. They had a white sheet over him. He’d bled through it. I guess he was shot in his chest.Later on, forensics walked up to the body and lifted the sheet. Saw the guys face. As I said above, it was clearly Ed Christian.

Things that make you go hmmmm......

So, I was riding in my car tonight listening to Brad Friedman, who is substituting for Mike Malloy on Sirrius XM station 127  and his guest, John Washburn of Fair Elections Wisconsin, questioning the validity of the election results in the Wisconsin recall election.  Hmmmmm...


Prior to election day, Ed Schultz was all over MSNBC saying African American turnout in Milwaukee was the key to Walker being recalled. Guess where they ran out of voter registration forms and ballots...Milwaukee.  Hmmmm...


Remember the woman who slapped democratic challenger Tom Barrett upside the face for conceding the election while the polls were still open and people were in line to vote?  Hmmmm....


So then I go to Lefty Blogs and the #2 post is Recall Results don't pass smell test.  There is something rotten in Wisconsin.  Hmmmm.....


Remember how the media told us Mitt Romney was the winner of the Iowa republican presidential primary before he was the loser of the Iowa republican presidential primary?   So it's not like the media hasn't been wrong before.   Hmmmmm...

"Wisconsin is proof we get the leadership we deserve"

With only 23% of the vote cast NBC news called the recount for Scott Walker. 

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barret conceded the race while people were still in line voting and got slapped up side the head for it.

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

Of course you missed this if you weren't watching Way to Early with Willie Giest.

I don't care what anybody says, President Obama's Donkey is Grass.  He might as well start packing because the candidate with the most money to run 30 second television ads wins.

God Bless Citizens United!

I am more afraid of the TeaPublicans and  than I am of al- Qaeda #2.  Why are republicans so mean spirited?

Wisconsin is proof we get the leadership we deserve.

Today's Must Reads
The Wisconsin Microcosm
Media's Portrayal of Black Youths Contribute to Racial Tensions


Stay tuned for a Righteous RedEye Rant.

Wisconsin is what Democracy looks like!

I
t also highlights the disconnect between the mainstream media (part of the 1%), and the American people (the 99%).  Tune in to mainstream media and all you will hear is the Talking TeeVee Pundit Heads (1%) talking about how Wisconsin is a divided state, polls show a tight race, Scott Walker is out spending the democrats, turnout is the key, should President Obama campaign in Wisconsin, what are the implications for November, blah, blah, blab, blab.

Of course it's easier for them to hypothesize will Scott Walker get a pink slip, orange jumpsuit, or a second chance, than talk about how and why there is a recall in Wisconsin.  It's called holding elected officials accountable for when they lie to the voters to get elected.

If you really want to know what's going on in Wisconsin go to the Professional Left  Blogosphere for the comprehensive review, honest analysis,  unbiased information,  voters need to make informed decisions.

One thing is true, if democrats stay their Donkey's at home, republicans will win.  If republicans win, the American people lose.

ReCall  Scott Walker-Wisconsin can't wait.  

Today's Must Reads

Stand at the Ballot Box

What's the matter with the DOJ you ask?  It's controlled by Bush holdovers who prosecute people not crimes and a republican controlled Supreme Court who enables them.

I wonder if the Cats and Critters at Left in Alabama can hear Alabama State Senator Hank Sanders now?

Redeye's Reading List

POTUS has some splainning to do tonight. Not just to the TeaPublican Haters, but to those who thought he was the anti war President.

In the case of Libya, Farrakhan openly asks President Barack Obama why he and his administration are suddenly concerned with alleged atrocities in this country while the U.S. government looked the other way a few years ago, when the Israelis were engaged in relentless bombing of Palestinians, many of them women and children.

Farrakhan also noted that the U.S. government showed no interest in becoming involved when numerous human rights violations were occurring in Rwanda and the Congo. He argued that the U.S. government's goal has been to spend funds arming dissidents in Libya who do not want to see Gadhafi in power.

In an even more telling fashion, Farrakhan noted similarities between Gadhafi and President Obama: He mentioned that similar to Gadhafi, there are millions of Americans who don't want to see Obama in power, and that intervening with internal dissent in Libya would be no different from someone doing the same here in the United States.

Farrakhan asks the president, "Who in the hell do you think you are that you can talk to a man that built a country over 42 years and ask him to step down and get out? Can anybody ask you ... to step out of the White House 'cause they don't want no black face in the White House?"

I'm just saying....


Meet the TeaPublicans' version of Barack Obama. Try not to laugh out loud if you are at work or church.

I wonder how close to zero percent of the Muslim vote the eventual TeaPublican nominee will get in 2012 too. Snicker

TeaPublican motto: If you can't beat em at the ballot box, supress em at the ballot box. And we know who "em" IS. Nod, nod, wink, wink.

It's not wise for University Professors to tell the truth about the gop gooberners. Ask Legal Schnauzer.

Read On. Read Often.

Redeye's outLaw and disOrderly Edition

Remember my post Welcome to my world~A very personal diary about racial profiling?

I had to calm down and do a lot of praying before writing this diary. Yesterday I received the kind of news every black mother, daughter, sister, aunt, grandmother, god mother, cousin dreads. Someone I love was racially profiled by the people who are paid to protect and serve us. Contrary to popular opinion, largely due to media driven stereotypes, all young black men are not thugs, pimps and criminals, nor do they all look alike.

I followed with this update where the victim told his side of the story. Well, there is more disclosed at a community meeting following the incident;

According to Walker, the undercover officers approached him aggressively and told him to get on the ground.
Walker claims the men failed to identify themselves as policemen, and then shoved him into icy snow, causing bruises to his face. The officers let Walker go after they determined he was not the person they were seeking.
However, the incident left Walker — who says he's never been in trouble before with the law — very upset, and he has filed a complaint against the city.
Several residents at the meeting, including Murphy, stood up and expressed concern about "the treatment of our young black men by the police," insisting that too often, they are criminal targets and without real probable cause.
79th Precinct Executive Officer Captain Clint McPhearson said the precinct is looking into the charges. He said, they would like to get to the bottom of it, because it is not a behavior they condone.
Also, he pointed out that Mr. Walker said the incident occurred at around 7:00 pm. However, all four of the plain clothes officers at 79 were still at the precinct until 7:30 pm. So, he said, there's a chance that the incident took place with an outside police unit, such as a detective, narcotics or gang squad.

Now ain't that a dip? We don't know if they were police officers or not. Only in America...

I thought republicans believed in the rule of law? Or maybe they just believe in the rule of law for democrats. Let's see how they get out of this one.

Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne charged state Senate Republicans Wednesday with open meetings law violations in connection with a controversial move they made to pass legislation to curtail public sector union bargaining rights.
"Our investigation has found merit in the verified complaints, which allows us to commence this litigation," says Ozanne in a statement. "This litigation does not address the merits or the wisdom of the legislation."

Senate Republicans had been stymied by 14 Democrats who fled the state last month to deprive the GOP-controlled Senate of the 20-member quorum needed to pass Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill, which included a measure to effectively end collective bargaining for public employees. A week ago, Republicans hastily called a joint conference committee, including members of both legislative houses, to consider a bill that was stripped of fiscal elements, allowing the legislation to be passed by a simple majority.

State law requires 24 hours notice for such meetings unless "good cause" exists. The Republicans' notice was short of two hours.

The U.S.Constitution doesn't apply to republicans.

Last week, the Michigan legislature passed a “financial martial law” bill that allows Snyder to appoint “emergency financial managers” with the power to terminate collective bargaining agreements. The bill would authorize the emergency manager to reject, modify, or terminate one or more terms and conditions of an existing contract.

Republicans want to criminalize them their illegals...unless they are cutting your lawn.

The [Texas House] bill would make hiring an "unauthorized alien" a crime punishable by up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine, unless that is, they are hired to do household chores.
Yes, under the House Bill 2012 introduced by a tea party favorite state Rep. Debbie Riddle -- who's been saying for some time that she'd like to see Texas institute an Arizona-style immigration law -- hiring an undocumented maid, caretaker, lawn worker or any type of house worker would be allowed. Why? As Texas state Rep. Aaron Pena, also a Republican, told CNN, without the exemption, "a large segment of the Texas population" would wind up in prison if the bill became law.

In Sweet Home Alabama legal news the Legal Fallout begins in the wake of the Amy Bishop shootings at UAH

UAH was the site of fatal shootings in February 2010, and no one who has followed the aftermath of that tragic day should be surprised at President David Williams' exit. In fact, we suspect other administrators will follow Williams out the door.

Amy Bishop, a former assistant professor of biology, faces criminal charges in the shootings, which killed three of her colleagues (injuring three others) and reportedly were sparked when UAH denied Bishop tenure. As we reported last month, at least five lawsuits have been filed in connection to the UAH shootings, and we suspect Williams' exit is a sign that the legal process is grinding forward.

We suspect it also is a sign that the University of Alabama administration will be held legally accountable--and that, in our view, is the way it should be.

The wheels of justice turn ever so slowly in Sweet Home Alabama.

MONTGOMERY, Alabama (AP) -- The FBI's Cold Case Initiative is investigating the 46-year-old case of a Massachusetts minister who was beaten to death in Alabama while doing civil rights work, a spokesman said Friday.

The Rev. James Reeb, a Unitarian Universalist minister from Boston, was among a group of ministers who traveled to Alabama in response to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s invitation to join the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march for voting rights.

The FBI launched an initiative in 2007 to investigate unsolved murders from the civil rights era. A spokesman with the agency, Chris Allen, said Reeb's case is one that is currently open.

The lead state prosecutor for Selma, District Attorney Michael Jackson, said he has met with FBI agents at least twice about the case. He said the agency is actively investigating.

Justice delayed is justice denied.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- An Alabama legislator wants the state to apologize for the treatment of a black woman who was raped by a group of white men in southeast Alabama in 1944.

Democratic state Rep. Dexter Grimsley of Newville says he is preparing a resolution that would apologize to 91-year-old Recy Taylor.

Taylor was 24 years old and living in her native Henry County when she was gang-raped by a group of white men in Abbeville. Two all-white, all-male grand juries declined to bring charges.

Taylor told The Associated Press in an interview last year that she believes the men are dead, but she would still like an apology from the state. The AP is using her name because she has publicly identified herself.

Per grace designs via Pams' listserve

State Senator Jimmy Holley ( r. Elba) has introduced a bill that would prohibit jailers from being individually sued for job-related issues. The bill has already cleared the committee. Seems to me that this bill would open a door where all kinds of abuses to
prisoners would go unchecked, not just on the State level but the
County and City level as well. I sure hope I"m wrong.

I hope you're wrong too...but I doubt it.

Sunday Sermon

H/T Mark Sumner for Daily Kos~No matter what you think of St. Paul, his letter to the church at Corinth has some beautiful language.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
Nice, isn't it?
There's a political equivalent of this statement.

If you have a majority in the House and the Senate, but if you lack the courage of your convictions, you're just a mob. If you know exactly what should be done, have every fact on your side, and have the votes lined up to pass legislation by the gross ton, but you don't have the courage of your convictions, you're not only going to accomplish nothing, you are nothing.

Because it wasn't a bunch of TeaBaggers calling President Obama a Kenyon born Interloper you didn't see it on TeeVee but Amazing -- 100,000 Rally in Madison, Wisconsin against the assault on working people.

For those who have been out there protesting all over the country against the GOP’s attempt to completely destroy the working man....Keep your Eyes on the Prize H/T rikyrah jackandjillpolitics

For your Sunday morning viewing pleasure watch Rev. Jesse Jackson rip Faux News Megyn Kelly and new one then watch as WriteChic rips Rev. Jesse Jackson anew one for hurting her feelings by ignoring her question about the unjust treatment of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman.

Redeye tiptoeing away from the computer to go pray.

Redeye's Week in Review~Morning Edition

The Wisconsin GOP pull off a Corporate Coup d'Etat this week.

Overnight on March 9, fascist Republicans erased them in five minutes, in violation of Wisconsin's open meetings law, requiring "24 hours prior to the commencement of (special sessions) unless for good cause such notice is impossible or impractical."

The measure had nothing to do with budget-balancing. It's corporate ordered union busting. Wisconsin is a microcosm of America, ground zero, now breached as well as Ohio. Expect other states to follow. Public and private sector workers nationwide are losing out - betrayed by brazen politicians and corrupted union bosses, selling out rank and file members for self-enrichment and privilege.

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! Corporations are working to destroy one of the few tools we have to stop their abusive behavior.

When you hear about frivolous lawsuits and tort reform, what that really means is taking away your ability to make right a harm that’s been done to you.

Everybody knows this is not about reform or balancing the budget. It's about Obama derangement syndrome. You know, the segment of our population who hate Obama more than they love themselves and their country.

Americans are beaten down and scared. Unemployment is at historic levels, the economy is still pretty much in the tank, we have two wars going on and we see deadly turmoil increasing in the Middle East. And what are the Republicans' priorities?: Defunding Planned Parenthood, alienating Muslims, suppressing the youth and minority vote, breaking unions and pulling the rug out from under Big Bird.

Of course Scott Walker, John Kasich And Their GOP Colleagues Want You To Share A Bunch Of Sacrifices... And STFU Of course they think we are too stoopid to realize It’s very easy to prescribe “shared sacrifice” when you will not personally sacrifice anything at all.

The Republican led Congress misery index hits a record high, but you won't hear it on TeeVee.

Congress' approval rating is down to 18% after being in the 20% range the first two months of the year, and is essentially back to where it was just after last November's midterm elections.

Comment of the Week H/T Nonie via The Only Adult in the Room

I am about to vent so excuse my language

What the FUCK is going on in this country? Has this country gone completely insane? Is this what the country wanted when they went to the polls in November to give the keys back to the GOP? Didn’t they run on the mantra of CREATING JOBS? They have done everything but that and the chickens will come home to roost for these radical assholes. The GOP will get WIPED OUT in 2012. The democrats and president Obama have enough ammunition to go after these bastards and complete destroy their party.

You see the last 3 months the republicans have let the TEA PARTY infiltrate their ranks and their rational thinking and they are making radical decision not only in Washington but all around the country. Since being elected they have attacked Hispanics with these anti-immigration bills, have attacked women with these Draconian abortion bills, have attacked blacks, the poor and the elderly by going after head start, SS, Medicare, Medicaid, have attacked young people, poor people and Hispanics by limiting their ability to vote in 2012 by trying to pass anti-voting laws, have attacked middle class working folks by trying bust unions and go after their pensions, health care, have attacked Muslims by having these radical hearing in Washington and their protests in NYC over the mosque, attacked gays and lesbians by going after marriage laws and trying to defend DOMA in courts, trying to GUT PBS, Planned Parenthood, Health care, Wall street reform, EPA, Mortgage assistance, Educational system and the list goes on and on. All they have catered too is RICH WHITE MEN/WOMEN and Corporations.

I don’t care if you are republican, democrat or independent this war is about The RICH vs THE POOR. Corporations VS Middle Class working folks. The American people were DUPED into voting for these radicals in 2010 but I can almost guarantee you that the democrats are to have the biggest turnout in decades in 2012. The GOP will get theirs because apparently they didn’t learn their lesson for overreaching but the voting public will remind their asses in less than 2 years.

This country better wake up and wake up fast or we are going to be living like we are in a third world country where it will be just the rich and powerful and the poor and weak. President Obama and the democrats in congress/senate need to make abundantly clear as we gear up for the next election that they will fight these radical republicans and that now they have a reason to fight because the American people have gotten to see with their own eyes what kind of party the GOP is. They are arrogant, hateful, uncaring, racists who who don’t give a damn about people. Is this what America has come too? Degrading and treating people like garbage who happen to look different, act different, who live different than you or have less money than you? Something has to give with this country and the people who live in it.

The republicans campaigned on creating jobs. So where are the effing jobs? Here's what I think is their job creating strategy. They've shipped all jobs overseas so they are stripping the Union of collective bargaining rights so they can create low paying jobs with no benefits.

What say you?

Republicans are Ruthless

And therein lies the difference between them and us.

Winning.

While Democrats worry about appearances.

Wisconsin taught us the same lesson that should have been learned over and over again the last decade or so. From the Clinton impeachment, to the Florida 2000 debacle, to the Iraq war, to mid-decade restricting, to judicial nominations, to the health care fight, to repeal of the Bush tax cuts. Republicans will do whatever it takes, by any means necessary, to win. When faced with the same situation, Democrats will agonize, wring their hands, rack themselves with guilt, and seek "fairness" and "compromise." Maybe, just maybe, that's why Republicans seem to win most of the battles, while Democrats lose them.

Last night, Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate did an end-run around the rules to strike a death blow to workers' rights in that state.
According to the Senate rules, the Democratic Senators who left the state to prevent movement of the Governor's budget plan were able to stop that bill because it was a budget bill that included spending. So, last night in a sneaky, thoroughly anti-democratic move which some are saying could be illegal, the Republican Senators took the provision that guts workers' collective bargaining rights and passed it as a standalone bill.

The right wing spin is in

After three weeks of waiting for state senate Democrats to come back from their hideouts in Illinois, and after days of having their overtures at compromise rejected, Republicans in Wisconsin today did what they had to do and approved a standalone bill stripping most collective bargaining power from the state’s public employee unions. Spending bills require a super-quorum that GOP senators could not meet without at least a couple of Democrats present. By separating the collective bargaining provision from a larger bill that contained spending measures, the GOP was able to pass it with only a simple majority present. Republicans have taken a stand for better government and fiscal sanity, and it will now be up to Wisconsin’s voters to decide at the ballot box if they support this reform effort.

Republicans haven't taken a stand for better government and fiscal sanity, this was all about busting the union. Passing the union-busting part of Gov. Walker's plan as a stand-alone, non-fiscal measure exposes the lie that the attack on workers' rights had anything whatsoever to do with saving money and fixing the budget. This assault was driven by ideology and politics all along.

What republicans did last night was an attack on the democratic process however they see it as revenge for the way ObamaCare was passed.

Democrats are, of course, whining that the GOP used tricks to steamroll the minority party, but after the way Obamacare was passed, I really don’t want to hear about it. Besides, there was really no “trick” involved — passing the union measure by itself is completely legitimate. Leaving the state en masse to prevent a vote, on the other hand, not so much.

Oh how I wish Democrats had used tricks to steamroll the minority party during the health care debate because we would have Single Payer/Universal Health Care instead of what we have now, but I digress. What the Wisconsin gop did is not completely legitimate. If it were, they would have done it before now. Remember what Scott Walker said?

I told my cabinet ... about what we were going to do and how we were going to do it. We'd already kind of built plans up but it was kind of the last hurrah before we dropped the bomb. And i stood up and pulled out a picture of Ronald Reagan and said this may seem a little melodramatic, but 30 years ago, Ronald Reagan ... had one of the most defining moments of his political career, not just his presidency, when he fired the air traffic controllers. And I said, to me that moment was more important than for just labor relations or even the federal budget, that was the first crack in the Berlin Wall and the fall of communism ... in Wisconsin's history, this is our moment, this is our time to change the course of history ... for those who thought I was being melodramatic you now know it was purely putting it in the right context.

I thought the gop was the "rule of law" party?

Attorney Bob Dreps, an expert in open meetings and open records law, said the state's open meetings law requires 24 hours notice before any government meeting can be held. It allows for shorter notice for "good cause" only when it would be "impossible" or "impractical" to wait 24 hours. But even in those situations there must be a two-hour notice for an emergency meeting, he said.

Dreps said from what he could see, the Senate Republicans "didn't give valid notice."

I guess the open meetings law doesn't apply to republicans. So let's flip the script

In a surprise move late Wednesday, Senate Democrats used a series of parliamentary maneuvers to overcome a three-week stalemate with Republicans and pass an amended version of the governor's controversial budget repair bill.

With a crowd of protesters chanting outside their chambers, Senators approved Gov. Scott Walker's bill, which would strip most collective bargaining rights from public employees. The new bill removes fiscal elements of the proposal but still curbs collective bargaining and increases employee payments in pension and health benefits. The changes would amount to an approximate 8 percent pay cut for public workers.

After the session, Senate Democrats scattered, leaving no one to explain how they managed to pass components of the bill that seemed to have a fiscal impact, including changes in pensions and benefits, without the 20 senators needed to vote on fiscal matters.

I don't know how many times we have to tell you republicans are ruthless before you hear us.

Cooper asked Sanders what evidence he had that the Republican opponents would take Alabama back to Jim Crow days. Sanders said, "Well, there's a certain mean spiritness that's out there, not only in Alabama but it's in America. And that makes this election extremely important."

A Redeye Rant

This is the kind of state democratic party I wish we had instead of the state democratic party we have. To para quote the late, great James Brown ,the Wisconsin Democratic Party don't take no mess and the people are behind them. Wisconsin Dems are united in their opposition, unlike Alabama Dems who are divided as hell. Real Progressives are organized and serious about recalling gop Senators. They aren't sitting back saying it's OK to declare war on working people. They don't issue press releases in response to attacks. They don't view public school educators as Public Enemy#1.

President Obama tried to tell y'all what would happen if you gave the keys to the car to the TeaPublicans. But did you listen? Nooooo. Can you hear him now?

Alabama State Senator Hank Sanders tried to tell y'all what would happen if the TeaPublicans took control of the State Legislature. Can you hear him now?

The Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party tried to tell y'all how to deal with the right wingers. Can you hear them now?

Wisconsin is, in a sense, near-ideal terrain for a showdown with the Tea Party brand of Republicanism. In other words Wisconsin is making progress.

Where is your outrage?

WHY ARE THEY REALLY MAD??????

You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and
Appointed a President.

You didn't get mad when VP Cheney allowed Energy company officials to
dictate energy Policy.

You didn't get mad when a covert CIA Operative was revealed.

You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act was passed.

You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a Country looking for
WMD'S(Weapons of Mass Destruction).

You didn't get mad when we spent over 600 Billion dollars(and counting)
on Iraq War.

You didn't get mad when over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq.

You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping
Americans at home and work.

You didn't get mad when we didn't catch Bin Laden.

You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible Conditions at Walter Reed.

You didn't get mad when we let New Orleans drown.

You didn't get mad when the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark.

You finally got mad when---- The government decided that people in
America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick.

Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, stealing your tax dollars
to make the rich richer, are all OK with you, but helping other
Americans that is another story.

Seven presidents have tried to pass a Health Care Plan of some sort and
have failed. None have had the "hate filled" opposition of this president.

THE WORLD IS WATCHING Wisconsin.

You got that Democrats?Congress Critters?

Redeye Rant over and out....for now.

Redeye's Week In Review

We all know republicans love all war all the time so it's no surprise Wisconsin's and the gops the war on the middle class escalated this week. Yep, it's all war all the time, UNfair and UNbalanced.

Governor Walker started the whole Wisconsin union busting spectacle by saying that he’s ready to call out the National Guard, and his call with “David Koch” indicated that he’d considered planting agitators in the crowd, and that he has a baseball bat at the ready in his office.

This morning, his Republican colleagues in the State Assembly passed his bill in a 1 AM vote that was so short that 28 members present weren’t even able to register their vote.

Rham Emmanuel became the new mayor of Chicago this week. I feel sorry for the F^&king Liberal Retards..

Chicago's Daley regime was a half century orgy of arrogance, racism and plunder. Thanks to President Obama, it not only continues with the succession of Rahm Emanuel to the fifth floor office of Chicago's mayor, but with nationwide implementation of disastrous policies toward housing, schools, infrastructure and public workers, all pioneered in Chicago

Southern Public Workers say welcome to our world, Alabama State Senator Hank Sanders tried to tell y'all. But did you listen? Noooo, it was easier to bash Hank Sanders and call him a race baiter. YeeHaw!

Public workers in the South have few illusions about the uphill battle they face. For decades, Southern leaders have viewed promoting a friendly business climate -- including low unionization -- as a key to economic success.

Today, the forces allied against expanding Southern labor rights are in some ways more formidable. Record budget shortfalls have spurred lawmakers to call for containing public sector pay and benefits. Southern Republicans, after enjoying historic victories in 2010, have an opportunity to undermine a constituency that funds and mobilizes their Democratic opposition.

Yes Virginia, there is a difference between republicans and democrats

The difference between Repubs and Dems is that the Dems don’t play as ruthlessly as the opposing team: they usually follow the rules of the game, don’t foul as often, and believe that the spectators should have some stake in the outcome of the game. But make no mistake about it, Dems are as eager to play for the sake of the team, as Repubs, but Repubs are out to play for themselves and themselves only, and the spectators be damned, if they get in their way.

What we've got here is a failure to communicate

Most of you know by now that I believe in the power of communication. I believe that radio and television, for instance, are powerful tools in the propaganda wars in this country, and that they can be used, in a serious way, to benefit those who want to control the message in our day to day discourse. It is imperative that minorities have a seat at this very profitable and powerful table, and that when we do get a seat, we don't waste the space on bulls^%t. (Are you listening Bob Johnson?)

Are you listening Left in Alabama?

I’d like to make it clear that the commenter known as Redeye has no relationship whatsoever with Left in Alabama, even though her name is a link to that blog, which I am associated with.

Redeye over and out...for now.

It's the stoopid WAR, Stoopid!

What part of the reason we are broke is because we are spending BILLIONS of dollars per month fighting W-ars in Iraq and Afghanistan don't our *cough cough* elected officials don't understand?

What part of the reason our counties, cities and states are broke is because we are spending BILLIONS of dollars per month fighting W-ars in Iraq and Afghanistan don't our *ahem* elected officials not understand?

What part of all war all the time and giving the rich a tax cut are the reason we are broke don't our elected officials understand?

What part of you can't fit a square peg into a round hole aka balance the budget *snark* by waging W-ar on the middle class (working poor), labor (working poor) and the disenfranchised (poor) don't they understand?

What part of we the people are sick and tired of being lied too don't they understand?

Wisconsin is Ground Zero. Despite the lame stream media spin, Wisconsin isn't about balancing the budget. It's about putting organized labor in it's place. Thank goodness Wisconsin democrats have a spine.

What GuyinMilwaukee said;

Yeah, I love how the Teabaggies are always screaming about how Obama and the Dems are shredding the constitution, but damned if they can come up with a coherent example of it. Someone else exercises their ACTUAL constitutional rights, like the right to peacable assembly and redress of grievances, and they get all pompous about "the people have spoken" etc. Somehow that didn't apply to them when they were disrupting (and sometimes, not peacefully) the townhall meetings. They were mum about the obstruction of the Senate process by the secret holds and requiring everything to get a super majority. Where was the tut-tutting of the corporate media? I don't remember any. But now we get the Villagers, the know-nothings that follow Beck, Limbaugh, Fox News and the Astroturfed mythology of the teabag cult weighing in with their fictional talking points, saying the unions don't even have a right to assemble. Assholes.
The hypcrisy of it all serves to underscore its real purpose: the corporate take over of government, aka fascism.

If President Obama, John Boehner and the TeaPublicans are serious about cutting spending, stop spending our tax dollars on stupid wars! They need to put up or STFU.

Tea-baggers, Republicans, and Blue-Dog Democrats in Congress use their convoluted “values” and the deficit as excuses to slash and burn social safety net programs ... witness Planned Parenthood. Social Security and Medicare appear to be next on the chopping bloc, never mind that “we the people” have actually paid for these “entitlements.” So, I suggest we actually test their resolve and commitment to reducing the deficit by demanding they implement a “Deficit Reduction Tax.” It goes something like this:

All elected and appointed officials of the US Government will have 10% of their gross monthly earnings deducted and paid towards the deficit reduction.

All retired elected and appointed officials of the US Government with federal retirement benefits exceeding the US median household income (approximately $50K) will have 10% of their federal retirement income in excess of the US median income deducted and paid towards deficit reduction.

The TeaPublicans don't have a problem spending tax dollars rebuilding Iraq and Afghanistan, but they want to cut spending in America. Go figure.

The new tea party-backed freshman class came to Washington to cut spending. Period. And they’ve joined forces with old-line conservatives in the Republican Study Committee to form an immovable bloc on the issue.

As a whole, that dominant faction of the GOP doesn’t like government much. So if the choice is to keep the same government running at the same rate or to shut it down briefly, some are sure to pick shutdown.

Orange Boehner is finding it takes more than a big gavel to heard cats. Snickering

Cats are scurrying all over the damn place…and rumor has it they turned the GOP legislative plan into a litter box and told Speaker Boehner to put his fucking gavel to use and get to scoopin’!

Bring our troops and our tax dollars home. Cut spending on all war all the time.

If you can't beat em suppress em

According to the cable media voters are turning out like it's 2008 all over again. Not being reported in the media are cases of attempted voter suppression/intimidation. I wonder why? Snark I guess that doesn't fit into their "the gop is poised to regain power" spin. Any hoo here is some FYI;
Voting problems reports and election protection 2010

In Minnesota, tea party related groups are expected to continue to wear buttons or stickers saying "Please ID me" (despite a judge's ruling that they couldn't). This is meant to cause confusion in pollworkers and voters who do not have to show ID in MN. There have also been reports in one precinct in MN of a disruptive poll watcher who was aggressively challenging people attempting to do same day registration.
In Illinois in two predominately African American precincts, there are reports of every voter being challenged.
In a Michigan precinct, a poll worker was making racist statements directed at African American and Latino voters.
In Louisiana (particularly New Orleans), Maryland, New Hampshire and Maine, robocalls have told voters they can vote online or by telephone.
In Kansas, voters report robocalls telling they have to have proof of home ownership in order to vote, and that they vote on Nov. 3.

South Carolina

I just got a phone call early my time (7:40am PST) that there are Tea Partiers that are trying to prevent black people from voting. This is how racism works and why it’s so important that we fight back. If our right to vote wasn’t so powerful, there wouldn’t be folks working so hard to thwart it. I don’t have any more information than what I’ve been told below.

More gop dirty tricks in North Carolina

It turns out that actor Morgan Freeman didn't make a campaign ad for a Republican congressional challenger in North Carolina after all. But the controversy over the spot, which was made by a major Republican and Tea Party power broker, shows the kind of misleading tactics voters have been subject to this campaign season.

Voter intimidation from sea to shining sea

In Hennepin County, Minnesota -- one of the counties where conservatives groups have implemented an anti-voter fraud campaign called Election Integrity Watch -- election judges have had firm exchanges with overly aggressive poll watchers who did not seem to know their the role.

What's that you say? Republicans are depressing turnout in democratic areas? I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you! Not.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said in a last-minute fundraising e-mail for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that Democrats have "already had disturbing reports about the Republicans trying to depress voter turnout in Democratic areas."

Will every vote count? The Shadow knows.

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - An issue with ballots in Madison County has some voters worried. This is a county issue, not a state-wide issue.

The machines are not reading some of the ballots.

Madison County Probate Judge Tommy Ragland says they've had reports of bad ballots in eight of 74 precincts today. Ragland says there are several reasons some of the ballots are not being read. One is printing.

Here is a Virginia voter protection video.

Malfunctioning voting machines in Iowa too.

the Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that some voting machines have malfunctioned. Linn County Auditor Joel Miller says the problems were anticipated, however, and new machines are available as replacements.

So much voter suppression, so little time.

Consider this an ongoing thread...