James Wigderson Lied About Walker's Record On Labor

On April 25, James Wigderson attacked Mayor Tom Barrett, saying that Barrett had lied when he said that Scott Walker was for right to work.  Wigderson emphatically declared that Walker is not in favor of a right to work legislation:

Walker supports private sector unions and even the “prevailing wage” for public projects, and he is opposed to Right to Work legislation.

As it turns out, it is Wigderson, not Barret, who is the bald faced liar.

As my co-author at Cog Dis, Jeff Simpson, points out, there is now footage of Scott Walker discussing making Wisconsin a right to work state.

Per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article that Jeff cites, we see this exchange between Walker and Diane Hendricks, a big time right wing nut job who likes to associate with the same crowd as Walker (see Koch Brothers) and is reported to freely lend her private plane to Walker as he goes jaunting about the country collecting his bail money from those who would buy our state if we let them:

In the video, Hendricks told Walker she wanted to discuss "controversial" subjects away from reporters, asking him:

"Any chance we'll ever get to be a completely red state and work on these unions -"

"Oh, yeah," Walker broke in.

"- and become a right-to-work?" Hendricks continued. "What can we do to help you?"

"Well, we're going to start in a couple weeks with our budget adjustment bill," Walker said. "The first step is we're going to deal with collective bargaining for all public employee unions, because you use divide and conquer. So for us, the base we get for that is the fact that we've got - budgetarily we can't afford not to. If we have collective bargaining agreements in place, there's no way not only the state but local governments can balance things out . . . That opens the door once we do that. That's your bigger problem right there."

The entire conversation was not released Thursday with a video trailer of the documentary, but Journal Sentinel reporters were allowed to view the raw footage, in which the governor goes on to talk about curbing liability lawsuits and government regulations.

If you don't believe that the paper accurately reflected the conversation, you can see it for yourself in this preview of the movie "As Goes Janesville." The conversation starts around the 7:40 mark.

The MJS article also notes that Walker sponsored right to work legislation as a freshman legislator in 1993.

But since Wigderson considers himself to be a reputable writer and has threatened anyone and everyone he perceives as impugning his reputation, I look forward to see him suing himself. After all, I'm sure he doesn't like that he made himself look even worse than he normally does.

Sykes Hits Yet Another New Low

Charlie Sykes' irrational and hypocritical* anti-union hatred has gone so far he rips into a tribute to firefighters, including the heroes that sacrificed their lives ten years ago.

What a sick, demented jerk.

*It was Sykes' membership in a union that allowed them to fight to keep his job when he was caught making stuff up on his show, including quotes.

Solidarity Floats

A couple of weeks ago, the local paper, in an ongoing series of attacking public sector workers, pointed out a story in which the Racine firefighters union chose not to expend its limited resources for a non-union float, even though said float was originally designed to honor the victims of 9/11. It's not that they were opposed to it, but they felt that they could spend their time, money and manpower more effectively on other things.

As one might suspect, the usual suspects, right wing radio squawkers and their echo chambers, chose not to present the situation honestly but rather to conflate it to try to make it look like the unions were against the 9/11 victims and thus against America. Then again, honesty has never been a friend of the right, especially for radio squawkers.

As one might imagine, the float did just fine as people gathered in support, either to genuinely honor the victims, or to take advantage of the publicity to promote their own event or their image.

Ironically, one of the people that came out to "support" the float was Vicki "Wolf on back, snake on chest" McKenna, nee Pyzynski. This is the same woman who took to calling the firefighters thugs, despite their hero status, just because they simply opposed the Republicans' abuse of office and unilateral stripping people of their rights.

But how do the victims of 9/11 fell about this whole thing? Are they mad at the unions for dissing them? Do they feel that the unions were wrong for standing up for their civil rights like that?

Apparently not, according to this news story:



Did you notice that the firefighter highlighted in the clip, claimed to be a Republican? Did you catch when he said that the GOP's attack on the working classed superseded politics or the union/anti-union debate?

So why are right wingers like Charlies Sykes so anxious to make this such a big deal? The answer is simple. They know that they are, once again, on the wrong side of history. So they conflate and exaggerate a non-story in an effort to distract the public from what's really going on.

And thus they make themselves truly the ones that are disrespecting those they pretend to defend.

Cross posted at Cog Dis.

Putting Protests Into Perspective

On Wednesday, I heard Jeff Wagner, afternoon squawker on WTMJ 620, having a hissy fit about a group of people that gather inside the Capitol every weekday at noon for an hour of singing songs about solidarity, unions and general support for the working men and women of the state. ( @SolidaritySings for the Twitterati.) This was dutifully parroted by the right wing echo chamber.

They were just so upset because people dare to exercise their first amendment rights and show solidarity! If they are intimidated by such a small thing as this, they must truly be in a panic and know they are quite in the wrong in their ceaseless assault on Wisconsin and the good men, women and children who are its citizens.

But the right's selective and hyperbolic outrage doesn't end there.

On Thursday, both Charlie Sykes and Wagner were mewling about the return of #walkerville. The common mewl was do demonize and de-humanize the protesters who will be coming out for the return of the sleep ins, or in this case, the sleep outs.

What these faux complaints really are is just an effort to minimize the damage that will be done to their side when the people continuously see tens of thousands of people standing together in solidarity against the forces that are trying to remove their freedoms and everything that true Wisconsinites hold dear.

Unfortunately, Tuesday evening, a handful of young hot heads gave the right wing squawkers and their unquestioning followers something they can use to beat the rest of the protesters with. The behavior of these is most unfortunate and not acceptable by any stretch of the imagination. They have not accomplished anything but to give themselves and the other pro-democracy people a big black eye.

But in the grand scheme of things, really how bad were their behaviors? They were yelling and causing a disruption during a late night hearing of the Joint Finance Committee. Yes, it was uncalled for. Yes, it was in poor taste and not holding with the decorum of a governmental body in action. Yes, it went against everything that the other protesters rightfully pride themselves on, which was having peaceful protests and events.

The supposed horror of people doing a sing-a-long or having a jamboree or even yelling "Shame!" in a crowded committee room pales even further when one considers the way the right wing nut jobs express their displeasure. There is really no way that anyone of either side can condone in way, shape or form the act of throwing a Molotov cocktail at a private citizen's home, just because she protested a local store that advocated (with tongue firmly in cheek, one would hope) shooting people because of their nationality.

I can personally say that if given a choice, I'd rather have some young person yelling at me than to have someone jeopardize my home and my very life.

And if you look at what made these young goofs so upset that they were willing to throw away common courtesy and decorum, their "outrageous" behavior seems rather constrained.

The last time someone tried to take away our rights, make us pay higher and higher taxes to benefit a handful of already obscenely rich people and treat us like serfs, we had a little thing called the American Revolution.

All in all, I would daresay that a sing-a-long, even if it was off key, is a mild event compared to what our founding forefathers would have done. Instead of complaining, the Republicans should be grateful that they aren't getting what they deserve.

Cross Posted at Cog Dis.

Alberta Darling Snubs Local Businesses

This morning, on the Charlie Sykes Incite show (which was mercifully without Sykes, who was no doubt enjoying some union-won time off), Alberta Darling repeatedly complained about the people's boycott of Johnsonville products, as well as Coors, Angel Soft and all the other companies that chose to support the anti-worker, anti-middle class, and anti-freedom Scott Walker.

Darling repeatedly stated that not buying Wisconsin made products was wrong and told people to buy some Johnsonville brats and Coors beer.

Perhaps some intrepid reporter should ask Darling what she has against buying from local companies.

Klement's also makes very tasty brats which are made right here in Milwaukee and don't have the same taint as the corrupt Johnsonville leaders permeating everything about them and their ties to WMC.

And Coors isn't even made in Wisconsin. It's merged partner, Miller, is still made here, but even then, they moved their headquarters out of Milwaukee County and into Illinois. So why in heavens is she saying that we should buy a beer brewed in Colorado and headquartered in Chicago, even while she's saying how we need to buy locally?

If Darling was really pro-Wisconsin, she would have recommended something like Sprecher, the brewery that is wholly right here in Glendale.

To recap, Alberta Darling, who is supposed to be the state senator for the Milwaukee area, in an effort to bash the working class people of all of Wisconsin, is telling people to buy brats made in Sheboygan and beer brewed in Colorado, instead of supporting local companies.

Is it any wonder why people are finding her to be clueless and in desperate need of  having to leave her office?

And as an extra dose of the cognitive dissonance from the right wing, neocon Fred Dooley, worried about a non-existent plan to sticker up grocery stores, goes out to show them union thugs by shopping at Pick'N'Save, which is a union shop. Thanks for supporting your local union members, Fred!

Cross posted at Cog Dis.

Mayday! Solidarity March

Shocker! More Hypocrisy From Sykes

Charlie tries to raise a stink because a couple of union leaders, who have been doing their jobs for years and years, are making six figures.

What's really outrageous is that the two union leaders he mentions, when added together, still don't make as much as Sykes does.  And they are actually contributing to society, which is more than Sykes could ever say.

Dooley Plays The "Blame The Victim" Card

Fred Dooley, in an amazing bit of twisted thinking and circular logic, decided what was the real reason that the state legislature failed to pass the union contracts:

If the left wing blogosphere, the unions and all their left wing pals had stuck with Jeff Plale instead of throwing their weight behind a truly radical left wing primary challenger they would have likely been able to get Plale's vote and had their new contracts.

Funny thing is, as Zach and xoff each point out, Plale enjoyed more backing from organized labor, including the very workers he screwed over, than his challenger, Senator-elect Chris Larson.

Thank goodness that old Fred isn't a counselor. With his kind of logic, he'd be telling battered women to stay with their abusers or they'll get what's coming to them.

If he wants to blame the left and the unions for anything, it's for not recognizing Plale for what he was years ago and allowing him to stay in office as long as he has.

But It's OK If He Does It

Charlie Sykes has a follow up to a story he's been carping about a lot. The story deals with state unions using state email for political purposes. He is correct in saying it's wrong.

But the question is: What right does he have to judge, given that he gives so much free air time to Republican candidates, especially Scott Walker, during work hours? Nor has Chuckles ever once condemned Walker for his political bike ride on tax payers money. Or for Darlene Wink. Or for Tim Russell.

There is a word for people like Sykes when he does that. Actually, there are several words. The polite one is hypocrite.

School Choice Is Not The Answer

Charlie Sykes, PaddyMac and all the others like WPRI (Weasels Promoting Republican Ideology) too a hit when one of their own broke ranks and decided to speak the truth:

Milwaukee, in the strongly revised opinion of Diane Ravitch, is almost a textbook example for showing that the prediction that the tide of school choice will lift all educational boats is wrong.

"One might wonder about how much (Milwaukee Public Schools) is coming apart at the seams because of the competition," Ravitch said in a telephone conversation. "The competition was supposed to make things better."

A few years ago, Ravitch was a prominent voice for that latter sentiment. But in a way that has caused a stir in education circles nationwide, she now has come down emphatically in the opposite camp when it comes to private school vouchers, charter schools and the testing-based accountability regimen that is at the heart of the No Child Left Behind education law.

Those ideas just haven't worked, she argues in "The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education." It is time to return to emphasizing better curriculum and instruction as the key to better success, she says, and it is time for emphasizing the needs of the mainstream of public school students.

The article goes on to point out the instability of the entire charter school system with the constant revolving door of new schools opening and others being closed.

It seems to be that is part of the problem with today's society as a whole. There is no loyalty between employer or employee anymore. The days of having a lifelong career somewhere is over as employers continue to seek out more ways to make the most profit at the employees' expense. This, of course, can be directly tied to the ever decreasing number of unions and unionized jobs.

Which also explains why the right is so set against unions. They get in the way of the wealthy becoming even wealthier and the poor getting poorer.

Limbaugh Praises Unionized Hospital, Socialized Health Care

Heh:

We're thrilled to hear that Limbaugh appreciates Hawaii's exemplary health care system.

Here's why:

1. Hawaii is a shining example of progressive health care reform. In fact, Hawaii is so forward-thinking that the Senate bill excludes Hawaii from some of its provisions, because Hawaii's requirements on employers go farther than the federal legislation.

• Since 1974, Hawaii has required all employers to provide quality health care benefits to any employee who works 20 hours a week or more. Because of Hawaii's increased coverage, reports the New York Times, "hospital and insurance executives in Hawaii say they have been able to innovate efficiencies. For instance, the state's top three medical providers are adopting electronic medical records -- years ahead of most mainland counterparts."
• One reporter noted "the medical system in Hawaii is as close to socialized medicine as there is in the United States, and, much of the Democrats reform bill is based in the Hawaii system."

2. Limbaugh stayed at Queen's Medical Center, where nursing staff are represented by the Hawaii Nurses' Association (read: a labor union). The nurses at Queen's are protected by their contract, which adheres to the ANA's safe-staffing principles guaranteeing appropriate staffing levels for any patient care unit.

In fact, Hawaii has one of the greatest percentages of organized workers of any state and also had the highest percentage of organized RNs. All private-sector acute care hospital RNs are organized, with just two known exceptions. We're guessing this might have something to do with why Limbaugh found the Hawaii hospital staff's work so "confidence-inspiring."

When Limbaugh was released from Queen's Medical Center, he cheerily noted, "The treatment I received here was the best that the world has to offer."

PaddyMac Shorter

Love the teacher, just make sure they don't get paid or have any benefits.

Gee, Do You Think This Might Have Something To Do With It?

Both Harris and McIlheran talk about the sad news of GM closing their plant in Janesville.
I won't get into McIlheran's post, because I don't have sufficient amounts of cold medicine to be able to make sense of his weird train of thought, except that he somehow figures Barack Obama is happy people are losing their jobs. (If you have extra cold medication, or hallucinegenic drugs, send them to me, and I will try to figure out his post.)

Harris is much more blunt. It is those evil Unions. Of course, he can't figure out that the only reason he is where he is now, due to Union members fighting for living wages, safe working condidtions, and a reasonable work week.

He also seems to miss the fact that G. Richard Wagoner, CEO of GM, made over $11 million dollars, in 2006 alone. And that was for not being able to figure out that the market has been steadily moving towards more fuel efficient cars. Not a bad job to have, if you can get it.