February 2012
63 posts
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“I learned a long time ago to stop questioning life. I believe that everything...”
– Ryan Braun. He did an outstanding job at his press conference today. His complete statement is here.
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“If the right of privacy means anything, it is the right of the individual,...”
– Eisenstadt v. Baird.
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WatchRuss Feingold on The Daily Show.
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University of Wisconsin Professors Explain ALEC's... →
Julie Underwood, dean of UW’s School of Education, and Julie Mead, professor in the School of Education, studied education-related legislation developed by the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC is a conservative group that develops “model legislation” to be implemented at the state level. After noticing that nearly identical bills were being presented in Wisconsin,...
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“The facts are the facts and what has occurred here is beyond the pale in terms...”
– Judge J.P. Stadtmueller, to Wisconsin Republican lawmakers in the trial over redistricting maps. Background info here and here.
This morning, Judge Stadtmueller told the GOP lawmakers they could have until 5:30 today to consider redrawing the maps. As Charles Pierce explained “This is the...
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“The issue, for Republicans, is not just that Santorum would lose in November....”
– Eugene Robinson, Rick Santorum Could Take Republicans Down With Him
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“Despite a growing number of studies showing that charter schools, financed with...”
– The New York Times, Shuttering Bad Charter Schools
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“The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong at the broken places.”
– Hemingway.
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Guide to Wisconsin's New Voting Requirements →
The Government Accountability Board has launched this website to provide information about the new voter ID requirements. If you have additional questions, you can call 1-866-VOTE-WIS.
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“We’re helping him, as we should. We’ve gotten pretty good at this...”
– David Koch, talking about his support for Scott Walker.
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WatchAmy Poehler and Seth Meyers cover the debate over birth control on SNL’s Weekend Update.
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Santorum's Disturbing Comments About Public... →
On Saturday, while campaigning in Ohio, Rick Santorum expressed his disapproval with the government’s role in education:
At one appearance here, he said the idea of schools run by the federal government or by state governments was “anachronistic.” Mr. Santorum did not say public schools were a bad idea, and he said that there was a role for government help in education.
But it was the...
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“First, Atlas shrugged. Then he scratched his head in puzzlement. Modern...”
– Paul Krugman, Moochers Against Welfare.
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Federal Judges Slam GOP Lawmakers Over... →
A three-judge panel on Thursday told Republican lawmakers to turn over 84 documents to a group of Democrats in a blistering order that said Republicans had engaged in an “all but shameful” effort to keep its efforts hidden from the public.
The court promptly released the documents that showed, among other things, that Republicans who drew new election maps last year largely...
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Watch“What’s happened over the course of the last year in Wisconsin is mind-blowing. You’d never believe it would have happened in that state.” - Rachel Maddow.
Amen.
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Wisconsin Republicans Cut Education Funding.... →
The state budget panel approved $123 million in budget cuts, and education is once again taking the biggest hit. The vote was strictly along party lines, with all Republicans voting in favor of the cuts and all Democrats voting against. The cuts include:
$46 million from the UW system. Damn.
$227,000 from the Government Accountability Board, which was supposed to implement the new voter ID...
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Watch“You’ve confused a war on your religion with not always getting everything you want.”
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Wisconsin Republicans Argue to Keep Redistricting... →
Republican lawmakers are trying to keep 84 documents about new election maps out of the hands of the public, even though a court last month ordered them to release a raft of records about the maps.
Background information on their secrecy pacts and agreements to ignore public comments can be found here.
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“It is no coincidence that so many state legislatures have spent the last year...”
– The New York Times, The Big Money Behind State Laws
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Gov. Walker Uses Money From Foreclosure Settlement... →
Of the $31.6 million from the national mortgage settlement that is allocated directly to the state of Wisconsin, Walker will use $25.6 of it for “budget repair.” Sorry, homeowners.
Notably, Walker rejected $810 million in federal funding for high speed rail and $38 million for implementing health reforms, but he apparently has no problem taking this money.
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CPAC Guide to Scoring a Hot Date →
ilyagerner:
Wayne “Juggler” Elise explains to young CPAC conferees how to avoid the “friend zone” and get to the part where you show her your long form.
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Yet Another Budget Crisis for Wisconsin →
The state’s budget projections have deteriorated by $216 million, opening a new budget shortfall for Gov. Scott Walker to confront amid the political dogfight of a recall election.
The state was projected to have $73 million reserved in its main account, but a drop in tax revenue means the state will likely have a deficit of $143 million. The state also faces a shortfall of $141 million...
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WatchRachel at her best.
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Wisconsin Republican Lawmakers Were Made to Pledge... →
Legislative leaders secretly developed new election maps last year to strengthen their majority. Republican lawmakers were told to ignore public comments and instead focus on what was said in private strategy sessions, according to a GOP memo that became public Monday.
Other newly released documents also show almost all Republican lawmakers signed legal agreements promising not to discuss the...
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“Judging from the candidates’ tax proposals, they seem to believe that the most...”
– Bruce Bartlett, explaining why the GOP should stop invoking Reaganomics.