Today is

Friday, September 28, 2012

The Person Paul Ryan Fears



His name is Rob Zerban and he's running for Congress against Paul Ryan. Ryan claims he's not afraid to show his ideas to anybody and wants to debate the issues. But that doesn't make much sense if he doesn't have the courage to juxtapose those convictions in an honest debate with his congressional challenger. There's a word for that.

Watch this video of Zerban with Ed Schultz and you'll get the feeling that he represents everything Paul Ryan stands against. District constituents deserve to see these opposing views side-by-side in debates and hear them for ourselves. Zerban wants the debates. Where's Paul Ryan?

Go to Rob Zerban For Congress Website here to donate, volunteer or sign the petition telling Paul Ryan to debate Zerban.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Despite Paul Ryan, Janesville's Turnaround Sparked By Government

Here they go again. Another story about Janesville's modest economic recovery and in the typically bizarre fashion of partisan journalism, mixing in a story about VP candidate Paul Ryan as if it is even remotely possible that the two are somehow interconnected. They're not. Not even close.

Posted in the Wisconsin State Journal and titled, In Janesville, political spotlight and hundreds of new jobs are sparking local economy, but should have been, "Despite Paul Ryan, Janesville's turnaround sparked by government." Just to state the obvious here, this article should have been separate articles.

To make his point about Janesville's growing economy, the writer takes the liberty to name a handful of businesses in the Janesville area that have expanded or are in the process of expanding, including the new start-up medical technologies firm, SHINE. No problem. All of the people behind these businesses have accepted some level of risk in their private-for-profit venture as it should be. But what the writer failed to mention is that nearly every jobs growth and business expansion described in the article has been seeded by government action in one form or another.

I won't be picking out each business and matching them with the help they requested, but rest assured that the government assistance includes "forgivable" loans, taxpayer funded rental lease agreements, TIF District surplus cash, employee quota-based city tax credits, state funded tax credits and enterprise zones, government contracts, Federal grants and government guaranteed loans, just to name a few. Some have even received free land paid for by the local taxpayers. Yet, the word "government" or a rundown of the taxpayer funded incentives spurring the business growth does not appear in the article at all.

Okay, so we have an article naming some of the businesses behind Janesville's recovery over the past two years. Big deal, right? But out of the blue, the writer drops Paul Ryan in to finish off the second half of the piece. Truly bizarre, but this actually could have been a good premise to build on only if the writer made an attempt to inform voters of Ryan's diametrically opposing Atlas Shrugged mentality to the government stimulus blueprint (failed policies according to Ryan) driving Janesville's economic turnaround. But the writer did not. In short, there is absolutely no relationship between Janesville's economic recovery and Paul Ryan, unless your aim is to expose that non-relationship, the contradictions or the co-opted business base.

Instead, he omitted the role of government entirely and then used the modest recovery as a positive backdrop for Ryan by linking supporting abstracts and comments from several willing locals to defend Ryan's dubious RNC comments about Obama breaking promises he never made to Janesville GM workers. Yeah they said, Ryan "has local values" and "he understands the working man's point of view."

Just wild.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Atlas Society Wink and Nod With Paul Ryan

Paul Ryan continues to squirm away from Ayn Rand and her stomach turning "Atlas Shrugged" fictional nightmare and apparently believes people will forget his lifelong devotion to the sociopathic writer. According to this story from TPM, Ryan is now denying that he views Social Security as a "collectivist" program,

However, we know Ryan has consistently described our government and its constitutional powers of taxation as an over-reaching redistribution collectivist superstructure of statism that he believes must be dismantled. I can't count high enough the times Ryan used Rand's false argument of pitting collectivism against individualism and claiming that our social safety net programs have become hammocks and drain away personal ambition. There's no backing away now although Ryan is certainly hammering away in reverse at every chance he gets.

TPM OccupyYourLocalMedia Comment:
Atlas Society realizes that no true Randian will ever get elected, therefore they provide cover by saying "he never was truly one of us". You know who also thought that? Ayn Rand, about anyone who ever tried to follow in her footsteps.

Paul Ryan is banking on people not using critical thinking skills to realize that you don't go around claiming that someone inspired you to do what it is you do and suddenly for political expediency you just "disown" words you yourself said that we all know your side believes. Ask Rand Paul, another acolyte of Ayn Rand what is Social Security. Ask almost any of the Tea Party Politicians what they think of Social Security.
What? Did you think Paul Ryan was going to be honest?
Funny thing is the Atlas Society people already know that Paul Ryan has no other choice but to escape from his own words, which is why they don't feel betrayed in the slightest - because Paul Ryan is not actually disowning his words, he's just hoping you will believe him when he says he is... this time. But once you buy this politician, there are not backsies.

Nothing to add to that comment. It nails it. The primary feeling I pick up from the Atlas Society and the Tea Party towards Paul Ryan can only be described as they are "willingly co-opted."

People have to start wondering why Mitt Romney chose Ryan to be his running mate if Ryan is left repeatedly denying his signature identifiers - his Randian messaging and his alternative "budget" to the American social compact. The story about the Koch Bros. paying Romney $100 million for the VP seat is beginning to look like the only reasonable possibility. Because, if you cleanse (or pretend to cleanse) Atlas Shrugged out from Ryan's budget and out from his arguments - you'll still have his toxic mentality - but you'll have a budget exactly like Barack Obama's, all the way down to the $716 billion in cost savings for Medicare.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Janesville Greets Bain Workers Bus Tour In Solidarity

It was a sunny Sunday afternoon for the area folks who turned out in front of the sprawling vacant GM plant in Janesville to greet the Bain Workers Tour bus. During the rally, which lasted about 45 minutes, a handful of workers gave heart wrenching stories of their personal experience when they found out their jobs were being outsourced to China. They also delivered a singular ominous message - that it's time the American people stand up and defend their country and their jobs right now because time is running out.

Brief Slideshow Of GM/Bain with Sound


Workers from the Bain-owned Sensata, an auto-components factory in Freeport, Illinois, (about an hour drive from Janesville) distributed a flyer inviting area residents to their "Outsourcing Pig Roast" protest and feast to be held on Saturday, Sept. 29th. For more information on this event visit Bainport

ADDITIONAL:

Lost Continents - Janesville/Bainport

WKOW - Bain Bus Tour Stops In Janesville

Friday, September 21, 2012

Never Forget Paul Ryan's Struggle To Destroy Social Security And Medicare



For the sake of not rehashing this story from the National Catholic Weekly about a Paul Ryan speech at the Atlas Society’s "Celebration of Ayn Rand" event, I'll just touch on a couple of my immediate thoughts drawn from the article.

Although some of Ryan's statements in the story have been public knowledge for some time, I think most will find the added transcripts amazing considering they are from 2005 and how Ryan's "Shrugging" words back then closely match his rhetoric on the campaign trail today despite recently claiming an estrangement to Ayn Rand's world view.

You'll even find the reason as to why Mitt Romney believes 47 percent of Americans are moochers and victims and why Ryan thinks Romney's only mistake was that he was obviously inarticulate making his 47 percent point, but he still stands by the message. The truth is, Ryan and Romney are both class warfare-breathing demagogues who are willing to divide the population in an effort to win over more converts to their Atlas Shrugged world view.

America, The National Catholic Weekly Excerpt:
This philosophy leaves no room for Catholic notions of Government in service to the common good, there is no room for a social conception of the human person.

In several previous blog postings, I’ve described Ryan’s budget and debt solutions as being tabulated using an ideological calculator. We know when government collects $3 trillion in revenue but has $3.5 trillion in bills, simple arithmetic would show we’re $500 billion short.

So let’s put all our heads together and come up with a balanced plan to A.) generate more revenue and B.) make some spending cuts, and continue to adjust accordingly. Let’s burn the debt crisis candle at both ends to double-time the speed to solvency. The American people get that.

That’s what Bill Clinton was talking about at the DNC. It's arithmetic and common sense. But in walks Paul Ryan with his one-man plan largely extrapolated from a fictional novel and tabulated with Norquist-pledged trickle-down Laffer curve voodoo economics. There’s no math calculator and no real numbers showing any additional revenue or cuts. It’s simply a sales-pitch he tells that uses a projected debt crisis to transform not only government but our entire contemporary American society into something completely cold, dark and alien.

Not long ago, Ryan actually called this personal mission to deconstruct the constitutional role of government “his struggle” and repeatedly claims we have excessive collectivism, this coming from a man whose policies and principles have played a significant role in legislating more than half of the nation's debt. Indeed, a sure sign of excessive collectivism would be excessively large surpluses. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

As a nation, I believe we need an adult conversation about balancing a budget using simple math, not someone who wants to add and subtract using arguments and abstracts for personal responsibility, individualism vs collectivism, public vs private, the concept of subsidiarity, church vs state, God-given rights, hammocks, upward mobility and the morality of capitalism - but no numbers and no math. We want to balance a budget and solve a debt crisis and Paul Ryan is trying to solve the crisis in Atlas Shrugged.

WTF??

Recommended: Secret Ryan Transcript: Social Security and Medicare are the Target

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Former Janesville GM Workers Speak Out On Paul Ryan

LETTER:

I’m amused watching Paul Ryan attempt to reinvent his congressional record while he is being exposed for his fictional marathon time, fuzzy math skills, alleged foreign policy experience, and his fake claims as a budget hawk!

Mr. Ryan likes to remind us that we are his employer. Doing an adequate job responding to constituents’ individual needs is the minimum requirement of the job; but let’s also look at what Mr. Ryan has been doing the last 14 years in Congress as our alleged representative.

Eight of those years, Ryan walked lock step with the agenda of former President Bush where the rich got richer and the rest of us poorer. Ryan voted AGAINST the minimum wage increase; stem cell research; ethics reform; lowering the cost of student loans; union organizing; troop withdrawal from Iraq; and lower prescription drug prices! Ryan advocates privatizing Social Security and diminishing Medicare to a more costly voucher program.

While he talks of reducing the deficit he supported the very causes of the largest budget deficit in U.S. history: two unfunded wars, unnecessary tax cuts for the rich and corporations, Wall Street/Bank bailouts, and the deregulation of financial markets.

Now Ryan seeks election to not only his congressional seat, but also Vice President of the United States. Seriously, do we need to employ this obstructionist ultra conservative career politician any longer when it is apparent he collects a salary from the taxpayers, but serves the masters of privatization, deregulation, and the “ownership society?”

Signed in Solidarity by 55 Former Janesville, Wisconsin, General Motors Assembly Plant Dislocated Workers who now commute to Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Tim Rutter * Jamie Schmeling * Terry Nyhus *
Dianna R. Applebeck * Donald Clauer * James Wegner *
Bret Bailey * Erin Meinen * Charlie Monday * Randy S.Kozak * Chad Perkin * Teresa Pearson * David Belm * Holly Tillman *
Dale Granlund * Jeff Pearson * Daryl Crawford * Gerald Balis * Randy Tunks * Rodney Moen * Yoomi A. Saldana *
Donald R. Duoss * Randy Gorman * Steve Behm *
Dennis McKeown * Jamie Teller * John C. Deems *
Brian Biggerstaff * John Dohner, Jr. * Frannie Carpenter * David Dare * Joe J Steinman, Sr. * Gail Sockness *
Glenn Wille * Jeffrey Kosharek * Douglas Keepers *
David Draves * Dennis Huber * Alan Schneider *
Jeff McCulloch * Kevin D. Johnson * David Gaddine *
Terry Kundert * Daniel Brankhoff * Jon Bartz *
Brian J. Linfvedt * Jim Brandt * Michael A. Hoof *
David Harnack * Sarah Wille * Joe Cary * Rob Teubert *
Todd Condo * Robert Petsma * Pam McCullick *

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Bain Workers Bus Tour Coming To Janesville



Workers from Sensata, a manufacturing company based in Freeport, Illinois, are hitting the road to tell the nation just what a Mitt Romney Economy looks like. Sensata is owned by Bain Capital, a private equity firm founded by Romney that makes money by buying up companies, loading them with debt, stripping them of their assets and then finally shipping jobs overseas.

True to Romney's cannabalistic profit model, Bain is closing the Sensata plant before the end of the year and moving good manufacturing jobs to China. In fact, the Sensata workers are training their Chinese replacements right now.

They want America to know the truth about a Romney/Ryan Economy and are stopping in Janesville on Sunday, Sept. 23, to bring the message to Wisconsin.

A Romney/Ryan Economy means:

Steep tax breaks for for the rich ($160,000 goes to the average millionaire in Paul Ryan's budget)

Trillions in cuts to the safety net (food stamps, college grants, unemployment benefits)

The destruction of healthcare (huge Medicaid cuts and the destruction of Medicare as we know it)

A Romney/Ryan Economy benefits only one class of people -- the richest 1%. If you believe in a fair economy where we all have a chance to prosper, then you need to be in Janesville to let America know the truth!

Facebook event

Say NO! to a Romney/Ryan Economy
When: 3 pm
Sunday, September 23
Where: 1000 General Motors Drive
Janesville


Note: This posting is subject to updates.

Monday, September 17, 2012

It's Constitution Day In Wisconsin??

Excerpt:
"There is a time and place for free speech,and we reserve the right to regulate that a little bit." - WI Capitol Police Capitan David Erwin




The Progressive Excerpt:
Article 1, Section 4, of the Wisconsin State Constitution, on them. That section states:

“The right of the people peaceably to assemble, to consult for the common good, and to petition the government, or any department thereof, shall never be abridged.”

What is it about “shall never be abridged” that Scott Walker doesn’t understand?


I think I figured out this "courageous" thing republicans like Scott Walker, Paul Ryan, Chris Christie and Ron Johnson bandy about and heap on each other during their political stunts and speeches. I think it does take a tremendous amount of courage to openly oppose the pillars of the Constitution and long-held concepts of freedom and liberty set in stone by the Founding Fathers and to do so in a rubbing-salt-in-the-wound sort of way by daring millions of freedom-loving Americans to do something about it.

CapTimes - John Nichols: Scott Walker reduced to name-calling to defend struck-down Act 10

Phil Hands Cartoon - Erwin Scaling The Capitol Building To Issue Lady Liberty A Citation

Friday, September 14, 2012

Judge Upholds Constitution - Strikes Down Walker's Law Limiting Union Rights

This is breaking news so I'm sure there's more to follow:

ABC News Excerpt:
A Wisconsin judge has struck down the state law championed by Gov. Scott Walker that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for most public workers.

Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas ruled Friday that the law violates both the state and U.S. Constitution and is null and void. The ruling comes after a lawsuit brought by the Madison teachers union and a union for Milwaukee city employees.

Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie says he is confident the decision will be overturned on appeal.

It was not clear if the ruling means the law is immediately suspended. The law took away nearly all collective bargaining rights from most workers and has been in effect for more than a year.


Obviously this is great news for the state and school districts if it holds, but it's too bad the decision couldn't wait till September 17th, the day Scott Walker declared as "Read the Constitution Day" in the state of Wisconsin.

View the Judge's order here.

Help Flush Paul Ryan Out Into The Field Of Open Debate


Was Eastwood’s Empty Chair Routine A Warm-up For the Ryan-Zerban Debates?


Do you remember when Paul Ryan said how badly he wants to “flush progressives out into the field of open debate?” Or on the campaign trail more recently, he repeatedly states in broader terms how “We want this debate. We need this debate. And we will win this debate.”

Well, now is your chance Congressman Ryan. This is the opportunity you have been waiting for.

According to this article, your Democratic challenger, Rob Zerban, has accepted invitations to two debates and so far there has been no response from you. Why is that?

And doesn't it only figure that after all of Ryan's apparently hollow and blusterous talk about "flushing progressives out into the field of open debate," we are left practically begging him to do so? Ryan doesn't do anything unless it can be worked to his political advantage so I think I'd even let him co-opt my feelings by claiming how it runs against his principles, but that he'd do it for the sake of his constituents. If that makes any sense.

So where are you Congressman Ryan? Now is not the time to run and hide.

Readers!! Please sign this petition to help flush Paul Ryan out into the field of open debate. He not only owes these debates to his challenger but also to his district constituents.

Ryan talks about flushing progressives out into the field of open debate. Listen in:



ADDITIONAL STORIES:

Progressive Democrats Of America - We Need A Debate!

Muskego Patch - Patch, WGTD Issue Invitation to Ryan and Zerban for October Debate

CapTimes - Paul Ryan Owes Wisconsin Some Debates

Note: This posting is the sole opinion of its author and not affiliated with a political candidate, party or campaign.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Despite GOP Conspiracy To Bring Down U.S. Economy, America Still Has a Chance



"No criticism is too vicious or too fact-free. YOU have to take the facts out there. Take the facts on the economy, the facts on health care, the facts on energy, the facts on education and the fact is, we got an economic policy that has a chance to bring America back." -- Bill Clinton. Watch it:

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Yuri Rashkin Begins "Discover Janesville" Show on BlogTalk Radio

Discover Janesville with Yuri Rashkin. You can join him for interviews, news, local music and your calls! Live Thursdays 6-8 pm and available 24/7 for you to listen at your convenience.

He will be joined in Thursday's broadcast by Paul Ryan's challenger, Rob Zerban, to discuss the latest polls showing Zerban trending within 8 points of Ryan in the race for the 1st Congressional District of Wisconsin. Check it out here.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Today's Congress Is Not The Right Framework To Debate Ryan's Extreme Budget

Much has already been written about VP-candidate Paul Ryan's weekend interview with George Stephanpoulos where Stephanopoulos caught Ryan trying to pull a "Ron Johnson" about the details of his budget plans. You'll remember Ron Johnson once said he won't reveal the details of his plans until after he wins election. Nobody to this day knows what Ron Johnson represents or what his plans are ...heck, he doesn't even know what his plans are. But Johnson won the election in Wisconsin and that's a winning strategy worth repeating according to Ryan. So it does appear Ryan has taken on the same convention of telling voters to just "trust me" now and wait until after the election to see his real plans.

But there's an added twist to Ryan's narrative. He injects lofty platitudes into his argument to divert away from offering any of the details like "we want to have this debate in public" and we want, "to do this with the consent of the elected representatives of the people" AS IF they don't have that framework right now. They absolutely do - it's called Congress.

Of course Ryan is not proposing to change the procedural structure or constitutional powers of congress. But what Ryan really wants, as noted by the Democurmudgeon, is one-party rule to give them the power to "pass the unpassable."

Ryan won't say where the cuts are, Watch it:

Sunday, September 09, 2012

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan Criticize Paul Ryan On Defense Cuts

Click image for larger

The measure, part of the agreement to raise the national debt ceiling, set in motion $1.2 trillion in federal budget cuts -- to be divided roughly equally between defense and domestic programs -- that would go into effect only if the administration and Congress failed to agree on an alternate plan to reduce the federal deficit.

When will Pinnochio stop lying? Anybody know?

SOURCES:

LA Times - Paul Ryan attacks Obama on defense cuts

TPM - Paul Ryan Slams Defense Cuts He Voted For

Huff Post - Mitt Romney Criticizes Defense Cuts That Paul Ryan Voted For

ADDITIONAL STORY:

Paul Ryan Watch - On Meet the Press, Romney Rips Ryan's Vote for Defense Sequester

Friday, September 07, 2012

Video: Legislator Addresses The Solidarity Sing-Along

Representative Chris Taylor speaks to the Solidarity Sing Along (Sept. 7, 2012) gathered in the rotunda of the State Capitol. Watch it:



...and this is what the Madison Lawyers Guild had to say:

Lawyers Guild (Madison Chapter) Excerpt:
MADISON, WI – Madison-area members of the National Lawyers Guild call on Governor Scott Walker and the Capitol Police to end their crackdown on peaceful protest in the State Capitol. Such overzealous enforcement of Capitol access policies will have a chilling effect on constitutionally-protected speech.

“The Capitol Police crackdown on peaceful protest is inhibiting free speech in the State Capitol rotunda,” said Attorney and National Lawyers Guild member Patricia Hammel. “Arresting citizens for holding signs in the Capitol Rotunda without getting permission from police, which is not illegal, is just meant to discourage citizens from expressing their opposition to state policies. When someone gets a $200 ticket and is handcuffed by seven or ten Capitol police and taken away, it sends a message to people around the state that they'd better shut up and stay home; that seems to be the point. More here>>>.

A New Alarm Is Beginning To Sound In Wisconsin

The following Notice is from Facebook page:

******** ATTENTION WISCONSIN PEOPLE********** The following post needs to be posted and shared. They are asking for a massive protest tomorrow at noon at the capital. This is serious! Please copy and help them out! Use Twitter! Ryan Wherley posted: ...After 8 arrests yesterday and 4 arrests today inside of the Capitol, we need to get a massive turnout to show up INSIDE of the Rotunda tomorrow, Friday 7th, at noon for the Solidarity Sing Along. Every time the Fitzwalkerstanis overstep their boundaries, we respond immediately and we need to show them that when the DOA, Chief Erwin and the Capitol Police engage in these types of unconstitutional activities, we will show up in even larger numbers and will not allow our voices to be silenced. Last December 19th, after these new draconian rules were put into place at the Capitol, over 1,000 people showed up for the next Solidarity Sing Along. So bring your signs, and let's replicate that by showing them we'll stand up with our friends who have been arrested for nothing more than their expression of 1st Amendment Rights. Solidarity and I hope to see you all there!!

I've been watching with much concern for our rights and the people getting arrested for merely holding a sign or a tee-shirt in the rotunda of the Capitol building in Madison.

According to this update posted by Giles Goat Boy at the DailyKos, Walker's latest assault against free speech may have come to a halt after a judge's ruling defined the signs under the enforced ordinance must be 'erected, attached, [or] mounted, which therefore means that their actions could only fall within the text of § Adm. 2.07(2) if their signs were 'displayed.'

DailyKos Excerpt:
However, the word 'displayed' implies something more than an individual holding a handmade sign over their head. Instead, as is generally known, the Capitol rotunda is frequently a place where freestanding artwork and such things are showcased, especially around the holiday season.

"The term 'displayed' implies something like a freestanding exhibit showcased in the Capitol, not an individual holding a handmade sign over their head comparing the governor to a character in a comic book. Thus, the terms of § Adm. 2.07(2) does not prohibit the Plaintiffs' conduct.

However, I think this is only a temporary "injunction" so to speak, and believe the new Capitol Police Chief will continue to look for and find a work-around to uphold Gov. Scott Walker's orders. For someone who just last week at the RNC wishfully implied that no one will remember the protesters, Walker and his new police chief seem to be bent on bringing back all the right reasons why he should have been kicked out of office.

Video: Capitol Police Using Intimidation To Suppress Free Speech and Dissent, Watch It:



Additional:

Blue Cheddar - Free Speech Arrested in Wisconsin: now 12 arrests for holding signs in rotunda.

DailyKos - Judge's Ruling Stops Wisconsin Capitol Police From Arresting Sign Holders.

Thursday, September 06, 2012

Bill Clinton's Speech Left Me Almost Speechless

Wow, after yawning at the deadbeats during the RNC last week and watching their commercial political ads attacking President Obama day-in and day-out on Medicare, jobs and the national debt here in Wisconsin, I was starting to get a little nervous thinking that the deceptive arguments as presented by Rep. Paul Ryan would only be thoroughly dismantled and beaten down on backwater blogs like this one and never really enter the national mainstream of public opinion.

Well, thanks to Bill Clinton that worry is no more. I think he laid down a solid foundation for Democrats to build on and win all of those arguments. I know that's reading alot into a single speech and I don't agree with every single brick and miter cut Clinton laid out, but I firmly believe the blueprint for shutting down most of the bogus arguments is absolutely there. I tip my hat to Bill Clinton.

Beyond the actual structure and superb delivery of his speech, there was also plenty of meat to chew on, but the one important issue Clinton dissected, quartered and tenderized for everyday consumption was one I wrote about two weeks ago. It was how Romney and Ryan were left with no choice but to strawman or scapegoat the $716 billion in Medicare savings against Obama and democrats, and to use their larded up T-bone as poisoned bait to win over senior voters.

Huff Post DNC Speech Excerpt: (Bill Clinton)
Both Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan attacked the President for allegedly robbing Medicare of 716 billion dollars. Here's what really happened. There were no cuts to benefits. None. What the President did was save money by cutting unwarranted subsidies to providers and insurance companies that weren't making people any healthier. He used the saving to close the donut hole in the Medicare drug program, and to add eight years to the life of the Medicare Trust Fund. It's now solvent until 2024. So President Obama and the Democrats didn't weaken Medicare, they strengthened it.

When Congressman Ryan looked into the TV camera and attacked President Obama's "biggest coldest power play" in raiding Medicare, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. You see, that 716 billion dollars is exactly the same amount of Medicare savings Congressman Ryan had in his own budget.

At least on this one, Governor Romney's been consistent. He wants to repeal the savings and give the money back to the insurance companies, re-open the donut hole and force seniors to pay more for drugs, and reduce the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by eight years. So now if he's elected and does what he promised Medicare will go broke by 2016. If that happens, you won't have to wait until their voucher program to begins in 2023 to see the end Medicare as we know it.

But it gets worse.


So this brings me to my next question. Which Medicare plan is Romney/Ryan running with? Ryan's "Obama did it first" $716 billion savings plan that extends the life of Medicare as we know it into 2024, OR Romney's plan to add $716 billion in costs and forcing Medicare to go broke 8 years earlier? We know the one plan we're running with, but which one is theirs? They can't have it both ways.

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Uh, Oh. Another Mishandled Ryan Constituent Letter



Or is this one where he requests help from failed policies. Ahh, no matter. It's Paul Ryan and he's got a lie for almost everything.

The Nation: Exclusive...

The Nation Excerpt:
Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan is barnstorming the country, promising to repeal every provision of the Affordable Care Act if the Romney-Ryan ticket is elected. But a letter he wrote to the Obama administration may undermine this message.

On December 10, 2010, Ryan penned a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services to recommend a grant application for the Kenosha Community Health Center, Inc to develop a new facility in Racine, Wisconsin, an area within Ryan's district. "The proposed new facility, the Belle City Neighborhood Health Center, will serve both the preventative and comprehensive primary health care needs of thousands of new patients of all ages who are currently without health care," Ryan wrote. Read full story here>>>.

View Constituent and Rep. Paul Ryan's letters here.

Remember Scott Walker's Governor's Journal Award?

Remember all the hoopla over Scott Walker winning the "Governor of the Year" award from something called the Governors Journal?

Believe it or not, soon after Scott Walker won re-election on June 5th, the "Journal" folded up even faster than TV4US did after the AT&T lobbied Video Competition Act passed in Wisconsin. Go ahead, Google Governors Journal. It's gone.

You might remember the Governors Journal. Its only "employee" was some dude by the name of Dean Pagani. It had no board of directors and no staff. Basically, it was a one-person one-page blog that suddenly sprang up out of nowhere and started giving awards out. Wow, big deal right?

I didn't care much about the Governors Journal back then either, but I warned my readers about it because that's what I do. That however didn't stop Walker's media stooges around Wisconsin from promoting the faux award.

Back in January of this year, the Janesville Gazette Championed The Governors Journal Faux Award with an editorial in which the newspaper made no effort to expose the disinformation of the Web Site and its empty award for the cheap trick GOP "crisis publishing" gimmick that it was. That's what a real newspaper would do. Instead, the Gazette expounded upon, defended and distributed its distortions, cover-ups and false equivalencies in order to save Walker's miserable career. Hey, they're professionals and ...it worked!

Unfortunately, it worked because enough people believed the lies and distortions and still believe them to this day. Let's face it, these shamsters wouldn't be setting up faux information web sites if they didn't work but more importantly, these flim-flammers would be nowhere without broken-trust media outlets like the Janesville Gazette legitimatizing their fakery.

It leads me to wonder whether all the right-wing media nutjob operators have some sort of code and format to follow when they want to legitimatize these fly-by-night sham operations. It comes easy for me I suppose, my common sense is my code. But if everyday common sense told me that Governors Journal was phony, what is it exactly that the Janesville Gazette is selling? Why are people still buying it?

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Lies On Top Of Lies: Paul Ryan In All His Glory



Today's Paul Ryan Lie Is ..."After the plant was shut down, Obama said he would lead efforts to restart the plant."

This is Paul Ryan in all his glory. Even Ryan's local supporters are used to it. Here's an article from the Janesville Gazette titled, Ryan's speech doesn't surprise area Republicans. One after another, day in and day out. We've been hearing this stuff for 14 years.

Rude Pundit Excerpt:
Just today Ryan defended himself on NBC's Today show by saying, "What I was saying is the president ought to be held to account for broken promises. After the plant was shut down he said he would lead efforts to restart the plant. It's still idle." That itself is a lie on top of the original lie. Obama never said he would lead efforts to restart the plant after it closed. Period.

Of course, Ryan's ball washers on the right are jumping to defend their blue-eyed savior.


Once a person double-downs on their lies, there is no truth that can ever reverse the process. Ryan is running a marathon of lies and he's way ahead of the pack.

Views of Janesville's LaborFest Parade










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Video Source

Monday, September 03, 2012

Celebrate Labor Day In Janesville!



The 22nd Annual Labor Day In Janesville begins at 1PM. The parade begins at Milaukee and Academy in downtown Janesville then heads east down Milwaukee, turns (right) South and continues down South Main Street and ends at Racine. In past parades, Public porta-potties are usually set up on the terrace of the Rock County Courthouse.

Click here for Parade route.

LaborFest Parade Line-Up Card

LaborFest.Org