Political Ruminations

Morning Quote: Anthony Weiner

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) talking to a TPM reporter (after an address at the Center for American Progress) on what may happen re the Affordability Care Act if any of the current lawsuits end up in our corporatist, predominantly right-wing, Supreme Court:

The Supreme Court unfortunately is a corporate-dominated arm of the Republican Party right now. I put nothing past them. But they would have to take a Bush v. Gore like leap to strike down the constitutionality of the whole law. Even the mandate is a pretty thin reed.

I second the bolded sentiments. Nothing.

Right Wing Attack on Michigan and Wisconsin Professors

The right wing think tank, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, which I talked about last week, and which is funded in part by the Koch brothers, has launched attacks on a professor of history in Wisconsin, and 3 professors in Michigan. From The Ed Show blog:

The right-wing Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Michigan has submitted a request under the Freedom of Information Act.  They want the Labor Relations Departments of 3 Michigan universities to produce all e-mails relating to the Wisconsin labor situation--the one we've been featuring here on The Ed Show for weeks.

Now, it is perfectly legal to make this kind of FOIA request, though it may be litigated.  Academics say this FOIA request is unusually broad and nearly without precedent.

One professor who is subject to the FOIA request put it this way:

"[They're] going after folks they don't agree with."

Another professor said:

"I've been an educator since the early 1980s and I've never had a FOIA request."

It's far from an isolated incident.  There's a pattern emerging.  Last week, history professor at the University of Wisconsin William Cronon, was hit with a FOIA request from the Wisconsin Republican party.  They want Cronon's emails relating to labor unions or labor leaders.

When they first went after Professor Cronon, he had just written a piece on his blog exposing ALEC, and criticizing Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker [R], and Wisconsin Republicans. I believe that Professor Cronon was the first to expose this connection between ALEC and the recent anti-labor laws introduced in Michigan, Wisconsin, and other states. ALEC is a subsidiary of The Heritage Foundation, and is funded in part by the Koch brothers. The Heritage Foundation is one of the Koch brothers foundations.

These people are going after these professors for political reasons, nothing more. They are, it seems, attempting to frighten people in order to stop the free flow of information. This is fascism.

What’s next?

Birther Clown, Donald Trump, Produces FAKE Birth Certificate

Yet another of your so serious, utterly ridiculous and malevolent potential GOP/Republican presidential candidates.

Ben Smith:

Donald Trump made headlines earlier today when he provided what he said was a copy of his birth certificate—but a quick check reveals it’s actually not an official document. [...]

Trump's mother, it should be noted, was born in Scotland, which is not part of the United States. His plane is registered in the Bahamas, also a foreign country. This fact pattern -- along with the wave of new questions surrounding what he claims is a birth certificate -- raises serious doubts about his eligibility to serve as President of the United States.

Bob Cesca’s response, emphasis mine:

Corporations Behind Michigan's Unconstitutional EFM Law, Including Amway and Koch Industries

Trust me when I tell you that this is the most tangled web you have ever seen in your life.

Last week Michigan's Republican Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation giving him what many have called “dictatorial” powers. The much despised EFM law gives Snyder the power to hand pick emergency financial managers (or emergency financial "corporate persons"), who then have the authority to take the following actions:

1. Consolidate or dissolve local governments and dismiss the officials elected by the people.
2. Consolidate or dissolve school districts, close schools, and dismiss elected school board members.
3. Sell off public property. Public. Property. Parks, buildings, licenses, permits, and so forth. All of it.
4. Privatize government services, with all that entails.
5. Shred all contracts agreed to by local governments and schools, including union contracts.

Which people or what organizations are behind Snyder’s EFM law?

Andy Kroll at Mother Jones enlightens us:

Since 2005, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy has urged reforms to Michigan law giving more power and protection to emergency financial managers, state-appointed officials who parachute into ailing cities or school districts and employ drastic measures to fix budgets on the brink of collapse. In January, the free-market-loving center published four recommendations, including granting emergency managers the power to override elected officials (such as a mayor or school board member) and toss out union contracts. All four ended up in Snyder's legislation.

"The Mackinac Center has been tied at the hip with the Republican Party establishment for years," says Doug Pratt, public affairs director at the Michigan Education Association. "It goes to their funding sources; it goes to their ideology."

But wait, according to a statement on their "Purpose" page, the Mackinac Center is non-partisan, emphasis mine:

VIDEO: Michigan Teabag Fascist Governor Rick Snyder Booed at Ford Motor Celebration

Via MLive:

Ford Motor Co. celebrated the launch of its all-new global Focus on Thursday at the renovated Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, but hundreds of employees weren't ready to celebrate Gov. Rick Snyder.

On hand to note the success of one of the region's largest employers, Snyder took the stage to a smattering of boos from union workers, many of whom wore red T-shirts declaring their "Solidarity with Wisconsin."

"Come on guys," UAW Local 900 President Anderson Robinson told the disgruntled crowd as the event even started. "We've already proven our point."

Snyder has taken heat from organized labor in recent weeks over plans to tax pensions and his support for a new law allowing state-appointed emergency financial managers to void public union contracts deemed unaffordable for struggling municipalities or school districts.

Personally, I would have kept up the booing until I was removed. This man has turned Michigan in to a fascist state, a state where the will of the people no longer matters. He should be booed right out of the state!

Quote of the Day from a Michigan Protester

A protester in Lansing, Michigan, George Robinson, tells it like it is about Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, and gets in a dig at the Koch brothers:

I’m fighting against the fascist takeover of the United States by several governors who met with the Koch whores in California to destroy the working class in America. I hold two signs, I hold “Snyder is a Fascist Rat”, which he is, and “We Do Not Allow Kings Here.”

They’re gutting all working people’s rights, and benefits, destroying the middle class, George Bush and the Bush Crime Family did a well job, getting rid of 50,000 factories in this country, putting people on the streets in foreclosure — wonderful job! Vote Republican, cut your own throat!

Watch:

GO, George!

Michigan's Republican Governor Rick Snyder Signs Draconian Bill Into Law

Gov. Rick Snyder signed the much despised emergency financial manager legislation in to law today, giving him far too much power over the people in his state. Even the power to ignore the will of the people and the votes they cast. The local ABC affiliate reports:

LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) - Governor Rick Snyder has signed a bill giving broad new powers to emergency financial managers appointed by the state of Michigan to run struggling cities and schools, including the ability to terminate union contracts.

The bill was signed as thousands of union protesters rallied inside and outside the Capitol to protest the bill.

Vulnerable cities like Ecorse, Highland Park and Pontiac could get Emergency Financial Managers. This problem is so serious across this state, more than 60 communities that are on a Michigan Department of Treasury special watch list.  Hamtramck is once again in danger.

In Hamtramck, City Manager Bill Cooper’s position was created out of the financial crisis. The city fell in to receivership but emerged five years ago. He says the city fell in to debt when the emergency manager was here. He says they are still digging out from under it. “The Emergency Manager does the short-term fixes and leaves, a lot of them don't look five or ten years down the road.”

65 people have been trained as Emergency Managers and Cooper says the state is preparing to train 150 more.

It is imperative that we recall this man and his supporters in the legislature.

Adding.....please see the correction I made to the WXYZ quote.

RELATED POSTS:

~ Gov. Rick Snyder and Michigan Republicans Engaging in Disaster Capitalism
~ Morning Quote: Rep. John Conyers Calls Michigan Martial Law Unconstitutional
~ Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Trickery Shields His Tax Referendum From Voters
~ A List of Top Contributors to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder
~ VIDEO: Rachel Maddow & Michael Moore - GOP Stripping the Rights of People in Michigan
~ Michigan Governor Rick Snyder Now Has the Power to Suspend the Rights of the People
~ Michigan's Republican Gov. Rick Snyder Granted Broad & Unprecedented Power

Michigan Protest Updates & Coverage for March 16

Following the protests in Lansing, Michigan throughout the day. [WHY I'm not there]

11:31AM - A bald eagle was just erected on the lawn of the Capitol building in Lansing, Michigan. Via @mitchellrivard on Twitter.

LIVE streaming coverage throughout the protest via Michael Moore.

Manistee residents protest Snyder budget

12:15 PM - President of the American Federation of Teachers speaking:
“THIS is our house”, “WE are Michigan!” “Some elected officials are using the financial crisis to undercut working people.” “Do we provide EMF managers with the opportunity to say, no thanks, NO collective bargaining!” “We fight back. We unite because WE are the People. WE are ONE.”

12:22 PM - Michigan's Senate minority leader Gretchen Whitmer speaking: "We didn't start this fight, but we sure don't plan to lose it!"  Sen. Whitmer also announced the introduction today of a  constitutional amendment to protect collective bargaining rights.

Robert Greenwald Announces Campaign to Expose the Koch Brothers

You may have seen a few other award winning documentaries produced by Greenwald’s Brave New Foundation.

With Outfoxed, we exposed the unbalanced propaganda that is Fox News. With Wal-Mart we uncovered the damage done to our country by the high cost of low prices. We exposed the war profiteering in Iraq For Sale, and we were on the frontline of questioning what we are doing, and doing wrong, in Rethink Afghanistan. We fought against insurance company greed in the battle for health care with Sick for Profit. We halted the history channel from smearing President Kennedy.

Today, Mr. Greenwald announced his latest project, a documentary which will expose the brothers who are destroying our country.

And now we aim our focus at the Koch brothers.

With a net worth of 43 Billion the Kochs have already spent decades of their lives and over 324 Million of their wealth exerting their influence. The Kochs accomplish their goals by funding a massive array of right wing front groups, think tanks and tea party efforts. They largely operate outside of the public eye, and target their funding to infiltrate public opinion, the media, judicial decisions and legislation. Over three dozen organizations are funded by the brothers, and they spend additional money lobbying and backing conservative candidates. Everything the Kochs do is to fight for a country free from protections and any degree of a social safety net for working Americans.

You might recognize names of some of the organizations that the Koch brothers fund. Americans for Prosperity is their Tea Party effort. They fund the Cato Institute, the Heritage Foundation, the Reason Foundation, the Institute for Justice, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, the American Legislative Exchange Council, and many many more. Through their massive funding efforts, they have fought against health care and are fighting against protecting social security, as well as fighting efforts to halt climate change, and fighting against LGBT rights, Immigration rights, unemployment insurance, environmental protections, the rights of unions to organize and educational opportunity, just to name a few areas they focus on.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich FORBIDS Broadcast of Budget Announcement

Unbelievable. Just who do these Republican governors think they are?

Chanel 12 in Cincinnati:

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Reporters have been told they will not be allowed to broadcast sound and images from the Tuesday release of Ohio Gov. John Kasich's budget plan.

Spokeswoman Connie Wehrkamp says journalists can bring only pens, notepads and tape recorders to the afternoon briefing, where Kasich is to announce the first details of his state spending blueprint for the next two years. She says videos and photos will be prohibited and the audio may not be used for anything but checking accuracy.

Members of the Statehouse press corps registered complaints with the governor's office on the matter. They noted a lack of precedent for such limits on their ability to cover a governor's budget release. An invitation-only town hall meeting later Tuesday will be broadcast on government television.

Quote of the Day - Michael Moore

In a letter to his fellow Michigan citizens, Michael Moore describes what our dictator wannabe Republican Governor, Rick Snyder, has been up to for the past eight short weeks:

* Gotten the House and Senate to pass bills giving him "Emergency Management" powers such as the ability to appoint a corporation or a CEO who could literally dissolve town governments or school boards, fire the elected officials, nullify any local law and run your local governmental entity. That company then would have the power to immediately declare all collective bargaining contracts null and void.

* Proposed giving business a whopping 86% tax cut while raising everyone's personal taxes by 31%! And much of that tax hike he believes should be shouldered by -- I kid you not -- senior citizens and the poor! He says these two groups have not been "sharing the sacrifice" the rest of us have been burdened with. So his budget proposes a $1.8 billion tax CUT for business and a $1.75 billion tax INCREASE for the rest of us, much of it from the poor, seniors and working people -- even though the top 1% in Michigan ALREADY pay a lower state tax rate than everyone else does!

* Together with the legislature, introduced over 40 anti-labor bills in just the first two months of this session! They have wasted no time and have caught most people off guard. Much of this is being rushed through right now before you have a chance to raise your voice in objection.

And follows up with a plea to Michiganders to stand up, to participate in our democracy. 

Nationwide Protests Planned Against Republican Budget Terrorism on Tuesday, March 15, 2011

YES! GO! 

Okay, I’ve settled down now….

Via Bob Cesca, Chris Bowers with the details:

On Tuesday, Americans in all 50 states will rally in front of schools, libraries, fire stations, hospitals, and parks to protest the rising tide of austerity gripping all levels of our government. There's a rally near you—sign up here to attend.

Many of the structures that long operated as a check against corporate power—campaign finance laws, unions, ACORN, public broadcasting—are being dismantled. As a result, the working and middle classes are being forced to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy, corporate giveaways, wars, and economic crashes caused by Wall Street. Money continues to flow upward, and our already undemocratic level of inequality is worsening.

Bob Cesca:

If we can apply Wisconsin-style pressure against these slash and burn Republican budget cuts, we might roll back some of the awfulness they're planning -- mainly because the Democrats are planning to meet these bastards halfway. And the Democrats will be much more susceptible to pressure from widespread protests. Let's go!

Morning Quote: Rep. John Conyers Calls Michigan Martial Law Unconstitutional

In response to the anti-Democratic martial law being enacted in Michigan, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) fired back, calling the bill unconstitutional, emphasis mine:

Worse yet, this bill raises serious constitutional concerns. Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution explicitly prohibits any State from impairing a contract, which is exactly what this legislation does. As the Supreme Court has held in Home Building & Loan Association v. Blaisdell (1934), the sanctity of contracts cannot be impaired by a state law “which renders them invalid, or releases or extinguishes them . . . . Not only are existing laws read into contracts in order to fix obligations as between the parties, but the reservation of essential attributes of sovereign power is also read into contracts as a postulate of the legal order.”

Rep. Conyers also inferred that some parts of this bill may be racially motivated, something Karoli at Crooks and Liars has also suggested:

The takeover provision of the legislation – allowing the dissolution of locally elected bodies — implicitly targets minority communities that are disproportionately impacted by the economic downturn, without providing meaningful support for improved economic opportunity.

Finally, Conyers also pointed out that by forcing a community in to bankruptcy (which will likely be done to force union consessions for public sector workers or just to break the collective bargaining contracts which the EMF also has the legal authority to do), the financial situation of the community will actually become worse.

Further, the bill empowers this financial czar with the Governor’s approval to force a municipality into bankruptcy, a power that will surely be used to extract further concessions from hardworking public sector workers. And, by making the risk of bankruptcy a reality, the bill will make it more not less expensive for municipalities to obtain financing given this risk, which will make the financial circumstances of municipalities even worse.

Taking it through the courts could take years. In the meantime, thanks to the Republican controlled House and Senate in Michigan, along with our new Dictator Republican Governor Rick Snyder, the people of Michigan will suffer, because this bill is the most draconian, the most un-Democratic piece of legislation in this country right now.

Wisconsin Farmers Rally Against Scott Walker

While Wisconsin’s family farmers are not union members, they are members of the American middle class, and they recognize class warfare when they see it. This tractorcade in Madison today is in solidarity with all those fighting the corporate power represented by Corporate Shill, Gov. Scott Walker.

                      Image via @WORTnews

From Minnesota blogger, Mike McMahon, on why a Minnesota group is participating in the Wisconsin tractorcade today, emphasis mine:

The Land Stewardship Project is here today participating in the Farmer-Labor Tractorcade being led by Wisconsin farmers because of the actions taken by Gov. Scott Walker.  Walker and his allies have enabled a power-grab by big corporations to the detriment of the land, and people, of Wisconsin.

We know what happens under unchecked corporate power – the people suffer.  That’s why family farmers across the Midwest organized in the 1890s, and the 1910s, and the 1930s, and the 1980s – building farmer co-ops, passing public policy that reined in corporate power and assisted family farms, and establishing farm organizations to fight for the well-being of family farmers, rural communities, and the land.

Today is another such time, in which predatory corporations like Monsanto, Dean Foods,  Smithfield, and the Koch Brothers, are grabbing control over our seeds, our milk, our livestock, our land, our public assets — even our democracy.  And now their political allies in Madison are attempting to pass and implement extremist legislation that breaks the power of working people to organize on their own behalf.  They believe it will greatly diminish the power of people to rein in corporate greed that knows no bounds.  They further this attack on the middle class by attempting to divide portions of the middle class against one another, alleging  that the fight is between a unionized worker and someone who is not in a union.  All of this to advance a pro-corporate agenda of business tax cuts, public asset fire-sales, reduced corporate accountability, and increased profits for the biggest of the big.

GO, Wisconsin!!