wisconsinforward:

“Will the Democrats take this as a chance to go on offense?  Will national Democrats take a lesson from Wisconsin Democrats?” —Rachel Maddow.

Outstanding coverage of the FAA shutdown and union rights, plus a look back at Reagan’s firing of air traffic controllers.

[Flash 10 is required to watch video]

First the Republican Party in Polk County, Wisconsin, pulled the tape of Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) fretting about making ends meet on his $174,000 a year salary from its own website. Now they want it gone from the whole Internet.

For a couple hours, the local county GOP was successful. But we’ve [TPM] put an excerpt of the video back up.

I can guarantee you, or most of you, I guarantee that I have more debt than all of you. With 6 kids, I still pay off my student loans. I still pay my mortgage. I drive a used minivan. If you think I’m living high on the hog, I’ve got one paycheck. So I struggle to meet my bills right now. Would it be easier for me if I get more paychecks? Maybe, but at this point I’m not living high on the hog.

The tape caused a stir for Duffy a first-term conservative best known for his past as a reality TV show star on MTV’s The Real World.  continue reading… TPM

mohandasgandhi:

drwh0:

Meanwhile, a fire still rages in the heartland.

You just have to watch this video of a farmer named Tony Schultz in Wisconsin talking to the crowd about what is happening at his local schools and to his own community because of the governor’s tax-cuts-for-corporations, budget-cuts-for-the-people budget:

I found it at this Daily Kos diary, Wisconsin farmer on fire! Awesome video, by strobusguy, who writes,

This video of farmer Tony Schultz speaking captures the feel of the rally today better than anything I’ve yet seen. (But be careful with your volume. The screams and cheers will bust your eardrums!) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE watch this, and pass it on to everyone.


read more

Wow, the note about the volume wasn’t a joke.

There are a lot of important points made.  I keep reminding my fellow Wisconsinites that the scope of Walker’s destruction goes far beyond just that of collective-bargaining rights for unions.  His budget plan, which has been shown to favor corporations, the upper class, and his campaign donors, makes significant cuts to many important sectors that a large number of people rely on, some for their very survival, which is absurd considering Walker helped create the mediocre budget crisis.  I mean, just look at some of the news coming in from Wisconsin’s largest newspaper, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: More districts now could drop insurance arm of teachers union, Low-income elderly could lose drug plan, Birth control program takes hit in budget (You don’t want abortion but you don’t want birth control either. Nice. Let me know how that one works out.), County employees rush to retire in wake of state budget action, Bus system, county services threatened, Budget trims tax credit for working poor, Wisconsin school districts studying impact of proposed cuts, Walker budget proposal would eliminate Office of Energy Independence, Senate bill would end Milwaukee’s paid sick day ordinance, Budget cuts $834 million from schools, Walker’s proposal cuts UW System budget, Budget would make benefits cuts to Medicaid, W-2, Wisconsin Shares, and the list just goes on, and on, and on. 

Tony Schultz did a wonderful job speaking.