1. The recall grew out of the protests — the vibrant, passionate protests — against Scott Walker's cutback of collective bargaining rights, and Tom Barrett, by campaigning on anything but union rights, has betrayed the original intent of the recall.
2. Don't reward the Democratic Party for appropriating the protest energy — which had that real, left-wing progressive spirit — and handing it to a bland moderate who stands for nothing much than not being Scott Walker. If this works for them, they'll keep trying to do it, and your movement will always be coopted. You're a protester: Register a protest vote.
3. Scott Walker has been a great foil for left-wing politics, a great arch-enemy. Tom Barrett won't do any of the things you really want, and you'll be stuck more or less supporting him. You'll become middle-of-the-road and deactivated.
4. If Scott Walker loses, it won't be by much, and the people who support him will be outraged and energized. Remember how you felt when he announced his reforms in February 2011? They'll feel something like that. It will be the Tea Party Summer, going into the fall elections.
5. Vote against recall politics generally. This is not a normal way for a democracy to work. You can show some sympathy with the ordinary Wisconsinites who don't like their lives disrupted this way.
June 4, 2012
June 3, 2012
#WIUnionDesperation.
There's video of Scott Walker drinking the milk straight from the carton. #WIUnionDesperation
— Rick Sheridan (@RickSheridan) June 4, 2012
#WIunionDesperation Walker's mother's father father's mother mother's father is part Cherokee but he can't prove it
— Kimberly Morin (@Conservativeind) June 4, 2012
Scott Walker birth certificate states he was born in the 57th state of our union #WIunionDesperation
— Liz Schmidt (@LizSchmidt3) June 4, 2012
Scott Walker sneaks into your laundry room and takes that sock you're always missing. #WIunionDesperation
— JD Nelson (@JDNelson_68W) June 3, 2012
Scott Walker says "They are so desperate... they have to make crap up..."
"It is sickening… I think this will backfire, and I think there are a lot of Democrats across the state that will say that this is what is exactly what is fundamentally wrong about politics in America today."
And he predicts that he'll win "by a large margin"... because "voters have had it — they’re disgusted and they’re ready to move on."
And he predicts that he'll win "by a large margin"... because "voters have had it — they’re disgusted and they’re ready to move on."
Eric Holder and David Axelrod "stood chest to chest" — "It was like a school yard fight."
At cabinet meeting. They had to be separated... by Valerie Jarrett.
"Activists converge on Wisconsin for historic recall vote."
Says Reuters (linked prominently at Drudge):
But up in Brown County, Wisconsin, Scott Walker and Tom Barrett attended the same event, Brown County Dairy Breakfast, where there was a crowd of 8,000+ people to glad-hand.
Political activists converged on Wisconsin on Sunday to join get-out-the-vote efforts two days before a historic recall election for Republican Governor Scott Walker that is seen as a test for November's presidential race.But as I just wrote in the previous post, I was all over downtown Madison today, and there was NO political activity at all.
But up in Brown County, Wisconsin, Scott Walker and Tom Barrett attended the same event, Brown County Dairy Breakfast, where there was a crowd of 8,000+ people to glad-hand.
Things for sale in Madison.
By the way, I spent time in various Madison spots today — 2 cafés, walking on various streets including State Street and around the Capitol, basking and brat-eating on the Union Terrace — and I didn't see any activity related to Tuesday's recall election. No signs, no protesters, no drumbeating, no clipboards. And there were lots of people out on this beautiful June Sunday. I did see an old chalking on State Street.
And in the first café — where I sat alone, grading exams — there were about 6 people sitting at another table, talking politics. But they weren't talking Tuesday. They were talking Wednesday. What should they say on Wednesday? Who should be blamed for this calamity? They sounded especially upset at how much money had been thrown away. Not the $18 million dollars of tax money the state must pay to conduct the election, but all the contributions that went to the Democratic candidates... down the rat hole.
Later, I met up with Meade at the Terrace, and I asked him the question: Who should these people — the ones who wanted the recall — blame on Wednesday? Meade said: Obama. Do you see why?
"WHY have we been told that salt is so deadly? "
Asks Gary Taubes.
Well, the advice has always sounded reasonable. It has what nutritionists like to call “biological plausibility.” Eat more salt and your body retains water to maintain a stable concentration of sodium in your blood. This is why eating salty food tends to make us thirsty: we drink more; we retain water. The result can be a temporary increase in blood pressure, which will persist until our kidneys eliminate both salt and water.
The scientific question is whether this temporary phenomenon translates to chronic problems....
Looking for meaning and finding it.
1. "A Texas family says they are getting strength from an image of Jesus they found in the mold growing inside the shower of their home."
2. "The family of a 13-year-old Kansas boy who found a picture of a long-dead uncle inside a camera he bought at a garage sale said it may be a sign from beyond."
(These are the top 2 "Most Popular" stories at UPI.com right now.)
2. "The family of a 13-year-old Kansas boy who found a picture of a long-dead uncle inside a camera he bought at a garage sale said it may be a sign from beyond."
(These are the top 2 "Most Popular" stories at UPI.com right now.)
"52% See Romney As Mainstream, 45% Say Same of Obama."
A Rasmussen poll of likely voters. 45% see Obama's views as "extreme," while only 30% say that about Romney.
What has happened since early May that might account for this shift? Obama's same-sex marriage announcement came on May 9th. There's also been a lot of talk about capitalism — Bain and all that.
In early May, 50% described Obama’s views as mainstream, while 40% said they were extreme. Romney's views were seen as mainstream by 51% and extreme by 35%. The latest findings are more in line with voters’ perceptions in October of last year, the first time Rasmussen Reports asked this question.So the "extremeness" gap doubled, as Romney got 5 points less extreme and Obama got 5 points more extreme. As for moderation, Romney gained merely one point of mainstreamosity, while Obama lost 5.
What has happened since early May that might account for this shift? Obama's same-sex marriage announcement came on May 9th. There's also been a lot of talk about capitalism — Bain and all that.
Wisconsin Citizens Media Co-op drops a load on Scott Walker.
Beginning with an "Editor's Note" — presumably an attempt at deflecting a defamation lawsuit — that reads:
Via Jay (in a comments thread here), who says: "Can you smell the desperation?"
Yes, I can. The recall election is Tuesday. I was going to link to something really desperate in Isthmus this morning, but the Isthmus site seems to be crashed right now. There's a lot of desperation and maybe all the desperados went there at once. Well, this is the link, if it works. The article is called something like Legal Cloud Gathers Over Scott Walker, and it purports to have sources that say that Walker is the target of a criminal investigation. Ah! The site is back. It's "Legal cloud gathers over Scott Walker as recall election approaches":
UPDATE: "Daniel Bice, the 'Watchdog' reporter of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online interviewed the anonymous woman who had the baby, but she adamantly denied that Scott Walker was the father according to a comment by Daniel Bice to the linked story." I wonder if Daniel Bice knows anything about the lawyer with knowledge of the federal investigation.
What follows is one woman's account of the Scott Walker she knew at Marquette University. To the extent possible we have verified its accuracy, including the accuracy of details not printed here in order to protect the identities of the people involved. All of the elements are consistent: the principals were at Marquette University when the incidents recounted here allegedly happened, and "Ruth" did have a baby shortly thereafter. However, attempts to reach "Ruth" and her first husband have been unsuccessful, as phone numbers listed for each have been disconnected, and so far we have not been able to independently verify Bernadette's account.They are orgasmic at Daily Kos — "OMFG!! Scott Walker's Got a Love Child?!?!"
Via Jay (in a comments thread here), who says: "Can you smell the desperation?"
Yes, I can. The recall election is Tuesday. I was going to link to something really desperate in Isthmus this morning, but the Isthmus site seems to be crashed right now. There's a lot of desperation and maybe all the desperados went there at once. Well, this is the link, if it works. The article is called something like Legal Cloud Gathers Over Scott Walker, and it purports to have sources that say that Walker is the target of a criminal investigation. Ah! The site is back. It's "Legal cloud gathers over Scott Walker as recall election approaches":
With the recall election only two days away, federal prosecutors are closing in on Governor Scott Walker, according to veteran political reporter David Shuster, former Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager, and former district attorney Bob Jambois.Quite the "legal cloud," no? It's less of a cloud of law than a swarm of Democrats. Desperate Democrats. Embarrassing. You just had a former President appear on behalf of your candidate. Why not a little grace and dignity as you approach the end?
In a conference call organized by state Democrats on Saturday evening, June 2, Shuster, Lautenschlager, and Jambois laid out evidence that Walker is a target of a federal investigation.
Wisconsin Democratic Party Communications Director Graeme Zielinski added that there is evidence of wrongdoing after Walker's time as Milwaukee County Executive, and that the investigation includes criminal activity during his time as governor.
Based on conversations with a lawyer who has knowledge of the investigation....
UPDATE: "Daniel Bice, the 'Watchdog' reporter of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online interviewed the anonymous woman who had the baby, but she adamantly denied that Scott Walker was the father according to a comment by Daniel Bice to the linked story." I wonder if Daniel Bice knows anything about the lawyer with knowledge of the federal investigation.
"Have you noticed that the left’s nightmare is a small town where everybody sees and comments on whatever you do..."
"Cop Arrests NBC Reporters, Says Your First Amendment Right Can Be Terminated."
"What’s his name? The police officer’s name should be reported. If I ran a media operation, anytime someone laid hands on one of my reporters, I’d publish his or her name, picture, and disciplinary record. Then I’d file a lawsuit. Every single time."
ADDED: That this police officer would talk like that to news reporters is evidence that he talks like that on such a regular basis that he doesn't even notice how shocking it sounds to people who know what rights are. It's important to push back hard against this kind of policing for the sake of all the people who don't know what their rights are and who can be controlled and oppressed by false information coming from an authority figure.
ADDED: That this police officer would talk like that to news reporters is evidence that he talks like that on such a regular basis that he doesn't even notice how shocking it sounds to people who know what rights are. It's important to push back hard against this kind of policing for the sake of all the people who don't know what their rights are and who can be controlled and oppressed by false information coming from an authority figure.
"We have seen the power of a single mailer disclosing the voting behavior of oneself and one’s neighbors."
"Does this effect persist over time, in the form of newly created voting habit?" asks an academic study (PDF) linked by Professor Jacobson, as he discusses that creepy mailer that showed my name and my neighbors' names and whether we'd voted in the last 2 elections. From the study:
The Surveillance Effect.
The remarkable effectiveness of the social pressure appeals contrasts with the relatively modest effects observed in previous studies of the effectiveness of direct mail voter mobilization campaigns....The surveillance effect! It's important for people to know when political organizations, like the Greater Wisconsin Political Fund, are deliberately using a psychological manipulation that has been tested and studied. Please, get out the word that mailers like this are trying to mobilize...
The difference between our intervention and mail used in previous experiments is that ours harnesses one of the most formidable forces in social psychology, pressure to conform to social norms....
Decades of survey research have suggested that people implicitly defer to the norm of voting, insofar as they tend to exaggerate their past rates of voter turnout....
From a theoretical vantage point, the sheer magnitude of the surveillance effect suggests an important new line of attack for scholars seeking to explain long-term declines in voter turnout....
The Surveillance Effect.
"Crack's Top Ten Suggestions For What Meadhouse Can Do To Keep Me Entertained."
The Crack Emcee was really inspired by my comment "Remember, Meade and I need to do some road trips for your entertainment, and it's a big deal to do that customized Sprinter to suit the sensitivities of an old lady professor-blogger."
Note: The "Clarence Thomas" tag is not a mistake.
Note: The "Clarence Thomas" tag is not a mistake.
Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch — who faces a recall election on June 5th — makes a great joke, apparently by accident..
Christian Schneider reports from a Tea Party rally in Caledonia, Wisconsin:
ADDED: I need to expand the permutations of the first option:
Kleefisch, who is facing a recall challenge on Tuesday from Madison firefighter Mahlon Mitchell, began her fiery speech by invoking David and Goliath. She likened the “big union bosses from out of state” to Goliath, accusing them of coming to Wisconsin to “pick a fight with David.” Kleefisch pointed out that in the story, David had five stones, then rattled off a number of the reforms Governor Scott Walker enacted, calling them her “stones.”
Pausing briefly, Kleefisch raised her voice, and said, “Our opponents, despite their money and their muscle, don’t have the stones!” After a few seconds of stunned laughs and cheers, she continued. “I was in the middle of a sentence,” she cautioned. “Our opponents don’t have the stones to move Wisconsin forward like you do,” she clarified.
Later, Kleefisch would tell me that her timely pause wasn’t intentional. “I was in the middle of telling a Bible story and people just started laughing. I can’t explain it,” she said.
ADDED: I need to expand the permutations of the first option:
It's Day 17 of "Video a Day Until the Walker Recall." This is called: "The War Against Milwaukee and Madison."
It's not just a song. (Sample lyrics: "Milwaukee, heavy on minorities/Madison, for homosexuality/Milwaukee and Madison, I love you both.") The song is just the intro, though it takes 2 minutes. There are still 3 minutes left on this video, by Adam Schabow.
Stay tuned for spoken word section: "This is my house in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I live in the heart of a heavily, heavily African-American neighborhood... I love my neighbors.... At work, I'm the only white person in a department of 26, 23 of them are employees that work under me. I love my employees and I love my boss." (Note: They're not your employees.) This quickly becomes an attack on Scott Walker for using racism as a campaign theme, the notion being that to criticize Milwaukee is to scare Wisconsinites about black people.
Via Meade, via the Isthmus forum, where Schabow announced his project.
June 2, 2012
"Illinois lawmakers may have gotten stymied on the issue of pension reform..."
"... a multi-billion-dollar mess affecting every taxpayer in the state. But at least they managed to pass a bill involving miniature horses."
Nice leadership under a Democratic governor. But don't worry, Wisconsin. We might get a Democratic governor too, very soon. Just a couple weeks. There's a 2.7% chance.
Under a measure the House sent to Gov. Quinn Thursday night – the evening members were supposed to consider a cost-saving pension bill – people with disabilities could use miniature horses as service animals in public places, much like guide dogs are used.That's what's happening in our neighboring state — and I do mean neighboring...
Nice leadership under a Democratic governor. But don't worry, Wisconsin. We might get a Democratic governor too, very soon. Just a couple weeks. There's a 2.7% chance.
Fmr. Gov. Ed Rendell: Democrats "made a mistake" pursuing the recall against Scott Walker.
He's responding to a remark by Joe Scarborough that contains a really annoying misstatement of fact:
"I hate politicians when they're asked, what mistake -- like George Bush was asked after four years, what mistakes have you made? 'I can't think of any.' When Scott Walker comes out and says, 'I messed up. I should have listened first before going out and doing what I did. I won't make that mistake again.' Again, you sit there and, go, 'hey, the guy is comfortable in his own skin.'"Rendell then says:
"And conversely, our guys made a mistake by not -- at that point -- raising the victory flag. They'd accomplished a lot of what they wanted to accomplish, declare victory. Don't get an election that's divisive, that may have an influence on the presidential election. We made a mistake doing that."But Scott Walker didn't say I should have listened first. He said he should have explained and won more popular support:
The mistake I made early on is, I looked at it almost like the head of a small business: identify a problem, identify a solution and go out and do it... I don't think we built enough of a political case, so we let ... the national organizations come in and define the debate while we were busy just getting the job done."He's been very consistent about that. It's Tom Barrett's argument that what the governor ought to do is sit down with everyone, listen, focus, work together, etc. That's not Scott Walker. Walker had a plan, got elected, and put the plan into play. He just wished after the fact that he'd controlled the public discourse better.
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