Scott Walker's crusade continues

[MichaeltheGreat]

Sorry, I have to correct this a bit. It isn't the entire point of right-to-work. Actually getting rid of the union is also a desired outcome, even if it's unlikely.

I think there are probably a few Cromwellian purists who would love to see unions dead as a matter or their own personal orgasmic joy. Bachmann would be one of those, so would Palin - the dimmest bulbs on the right-wing Christmas tree. I think the more Nixonian types would rather see crippled, ineffective unions instead of dead unions, because those would be more persuasive to the serfs how unions are ineffective at advancing their interests.

[MichaeltheGreat]

He did it to ceased being a valid excuse when you became 6 years old, MtG.

"He did it too" ceases being a valid excuse only when it comes to me trying to justify my behavior. In politics, it's the daily norm of both parties. There are plenty of instances where I think the Obama administration got it wrong, and Pelosi and Reid make my skin crawl. In particular, I don't like (and think it's stupid) the trying to shove a better (from a Dem ideologue standpoint) Dem-pandering fiscal cliff package up Boenhner's ass. Once Senators like Coburn, Chambliss and Graham openly distanced themselves from Norquist and the De Mint crowd, I think the better Dem approach would have been to match up and step towards a meet in the middle compromise. For about the only time in my life, I agree with that little weasel McConnell (that Geithner's proposal was an insult). So I think the Dems are blowing a good opportunity here to demonstrate that compromise can work, and to reward the Republicans who stepped forward.

That said, the norm is still "he did it too" on both sides, so when the line gets drawn in the sand, I'm reluctantly back on the same side occupied by cretins like Pelosi, Reid and Boxer, because I find them less cretinous than DeMint, McConnell, et al.

[kentonio]

He did it to ceased being a valid excuse when you became 6 years old, MtG.

That's beautiful.

DinoDoc - 'Obama is evil!! He did blah!'
World - 'Erm, but Reagan, the man your party treats like an immortal god did exactly the same things!'
DinoDoc - 'Don't be childish.'

[MRT144]

Drudge headlines now showing threats of violence and calls for blood. Why is it again that leftist mob behavior typically gets a pass when corresponding tea party pacifist demonstrations are reviled and intemperate?

When's the last time a leftist mob appeared in the flesh and not just on the internet? Say what you will, leftists are the toughest of the internet toughguys.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Fortunately the economy was growing leaps and bounds so that any of that was forgotten. Just like today... NVM.

Much more thanks to Volcker than Reagan.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

@ MRT Last I remember was the riots in Wisconsin. Looks like this one is a go for round two.

[Felch]

And the answer to your question is no, nobody seriously thinks that. Sorry you take things so literally (must be that public school education ), but I was using the absurd to illustrate the absurd - your notion that "pay given over to a political party you don't support" as if the unions are taking substantially all of a worker's pay and funnelling it striaght into the Democratic party.

Democrats consistently get 60% of the union vote. Do you think they only get 60% of the union cash? People don't have much choice in where they work, and once they find a job, they're forced to join a partisan organization that takes money straight from their pay checks. Even if it's not a lot, it's a violation of a worker's right to do with his money as he pleases.

There's a mechanism to prevent this. If you're really sincerely worried about free riders, restrict mandatory union dues to non-political activities, like in a 501(c)(3). So they could build war chests for strikes, or spend it on educating the public, but they'd have to raise campaign donations voluntarily from the workers. That I'd be cool with, but you'd rather exploit workers than treat them with dignity and respect.

The absurdity is two-fold: First, that you think anyone takes seriously the notion that Walker or any of the other right to work proponents care about a couple of dollars a paycheck for the average union worker - which is on the high side of the proportion of union dues which get channeled to union supported PACs and direct donations to candidates.

I'm a right to work proponent, and I do care about the couple of dollars per pay check. I don't think it's okay to force somebody to pay a single penny for political activities that they don't support.

Second is that you think anyone takes seriously the crocodile tears shed over how tough it would be for those workers to get different jobs if they feel so upset that the union supported a Dem candidate for congress with a few pennies of that particular worker's per-paycheck contribution. If this was any other issue, say the owners outsourcing or relocating to increase profits, you'd be cheering the capitalist system at work and suggest those workers should suck it up and get another job instead of feeling entitled.

So companies relocating in response to economic necessity is evil, but unions taking money from the workers for political campaigns is good.

A union derives its authority to represent the workers from the consent of the workers. Consent can not be given by somebody who's looking for a job so they don't lose their house. That's exploitation.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Much more thanks to Volcker than Reagan.

Point being much is forgotten/forgiveable (even stupid expenditures) when economic growth is underway and a reality. There is no reason to think given the administrations own rationalizaton for a new elevated expected norm of unemployment to think growth is a reality anytime soon.

[MRT144]

@ MRT Last I remember was the riots in Wisconsin. Looks like this one is a go for round two.

Seems like that was less a riot and more a protest. Especially since off duty police officers were involved in so called "rioting"

[Hauldren Collider]

I'm a right to work proponent, and I do care about the couple of dollars per pay check. I don't think it's okay to force somebody to pay a single penny for political activities that they don't support.

You support right to work, gun rights, and oppose abortion. Remind me why you still think Maryland is better than Virginia?

[DinoDoc]

That said, the norm is still "he did it too" on both sides, so when the line gets drawn in the sand, I'm reluctantly back on the same side occupied by cretins like Pelosi, Reid and Boxer, because I find them less cretinous than DeMint, McConnell, et al.

The line is being drawn in the sand by the people you support and openly call cretins by their insulting offer and refusal to back away from it in the face of GOP Senators signaling willingness to partially cave on taxes.

[DinoDoc]

DinoDoc - 'Obama is evil!! He did blah!'

I've said that he's incompetent. Not evil.

The record also seems to suggest that he has no business being a venture capitalist.

[Felch]

You support right to work, gun rights, and oppose abortion. Remind me why you still think Maryland is better than Virginia?

[MrFun]

If they're the good guys, then they have nothing to fear from right to work laws.

This statement is so fvcking retarded. American history is FULL of examples of good people suffering under certain types of laws.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Seems like that was less a riot and more a protest. Especially since off duty police officers were involved in so called "rioting"

I am struggling to think of time when thousands of tea partiers forcibly broke into the governmental buildings as was the case in Madison Mar 2011 or anything resembling the 6800+ occupy arrests to date.