Michigan House Speaker Jase Bolger had a good day yesterday. His effort to stamp down the efforts of 26-year old Autumn Smith to force him to face his constituents in a recall vote got a shot in the arm from a willing judge in Calhoun County. Not only that, he got to enjoy his win on Autumn’s birthday. A judge […]

It’s been a really tough week in Michigan, but yesterday was the worst day. The Republicans in our state legislature passed a package of four bills designed to strip away significant rights from unionized teachers. Two of them, H.B. 4626 and 4628, were particularly egregious. House Bill 4626 allows schools to fire teachers for almost any reason that is not […]

If you want to get a clear picture of the differences in between the two main political parties, you need look no further than Michigan this week. The differences between the parties could not be clearer … or starker. This week Democrats called for a state constitutional amendment that would guarantee workers the right bargain collectively. Private AND public workers. […]

Last night on the Rachel Maddow Show where Rachel did a fine job outlining what’s going on in Michigan right now. Check it out: Basically, GOP members of Congress in Michigan are pushing through legislation that would allow the governor to declare a financial emergency in any given town, village, city or township and immediately put that municipality under the […]

Wisconsin State Senator Bob Jauch issued a press release today. Jauch is one of the 14 Democrats who have left the state to deny Governor Scott Walker a quorum in the Senate which would allow him to strip away the collective bargaining rights of teachers and other public employees. Walker recently tried to portray Jauch as wanting to return to […]

As everyone who has been paying attention to national news over the past two weeks knows, the political situation in Wisconsin right now is very tense. The Senate Democrats are in exile to prevent an anti-union bill that will strip collective bargaining rights from teachers and other public employees from coming to a vote. Tea Party Governor Scott Walker is […]

This graphic from an email sent out by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) in a fundraising email this week tells you everything you need to know about the relationship between American union members and the GOP: DEFEAT THE UNIONS IN 2012!!! Remember, in Wisconsin, the front line in the GOP’s war against American labor unions, it is NOT about […]

So, maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “Well, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is a jerk but he has a good point. Why should Wisconsin taxpayers pick up the tab for all those unionized teachers’ and public employees’ pensions and benefits? They should pick up more of that tab themselves.” And we could have a valid conversation about that. We could debate […]

Guess which governor doesn’t have a college degree? Yup, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker. Explains so much doesn’t it? Like how he became the tea party candidate for governor. And how he allowed himself to be purchased by the Koch brothers. And how he could cut taxes by $140 million creating a $137 million deficit that he then felt he had […]

The Wisconsin State Journal reports that anti-union tea party protesters were out-numbered today 30-to-1. The crowd of protesters on the Capitol Square this afternoon has grown to as many as 60,000, according Joel DeSpain, a spokesman for the Madison Police Department. ~SNIP~ Early estimates of the pro-Walker crowd were around 2,000. UPDATE: The Associated Press is reporting that the number […]

This ought to be good. Anti-union right-wingers are holding an “I Stand With Walker” anti-union rally at the capitol building in Madison tomorrow. It’s being promoted by Rush Limbaugh wannabe conservative radio host Vicki McKenna. She posted this on her Facebook page today: BOOK IT: capitol rally for taxpayers, noon on SATURDAY! bring cleaning supplies to clean up the pigsty […]