Video: The Truth About Paul Ryan

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I consider this short video about Paul Ryan near the top for explaining how he wants the potential and future of the wage earning class to pay for all the spending and debt he borrowed for during his time in Congress. Simpy put, Ryan wants to punish the poor in the name of “upward mobility” for not being rich. Dick Cheney, who worships the ground Ryan walks on, once said, "deficits don't matter." The best part of course is there is a clear and solid alternative to this scourge. His name is Rob Zerban.

Watch it:



Please go to Rob Zerban for Congress to contribute and volunteer.

Former Janesville School Board Member Running For 44th State Assembly

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A former Janesville School Board member, Deb Kolste, announced her candidacy for the 44th District Assembly. This brings the number to three of locally well known and qualified candidates stepping up to challenge Republican Joe Knilans, the Walker rubber stamp currently occupying the district seat.

A current member of Janesville's School Board, Kevin Murray, was the first to throw his hat in the ring followed by Janesville City Council Member Yuri Rashkin. They are the other two democratic candidates now joined by Kolste.

Wisconsin Act 43 Assembly Redistricting Map.

Yuri Rashkin's State Assembly Facebook here.

Kevin Murray's Election Webpage unavailable.

Deb Kolste's Election Webpage unavailable.

Video: Obama, "Trickle-Down Hasn't Worked, Never Worked"

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Signature Collection in Janesville

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*SIGNATURE COLLECTION: Inside at Basics Food Co-op in the Community Room.
Tuesday 12/06: 4-8pm, 1711 Lodge Drive, Janesville (Behind Ground Round)

*ROCK FORWARD: EAT, DRINK, AND LIBERAL CONVERSATION for ALL of ROCK CO!
Wednesday 12/08: 6:30 Ground Round, 2753 Milton Avenue Janesville
No speakers. No agenda. Just fun! Come with your best Recall signing story!
AND...VOLUNTEER TO RECALL!

Janesville Gazette Checks Readers Letters With Politifact

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I really haven't been paying as much attention as I'd like to our area's local media monopoly, the Janesville Gazette. They were one of several reasons why I started this blog in the first place, but because of the serious threats our state and nation faces from the likes of Rep. Paul Ryan and Scott Walker, I've taken my eyes off of their little game. Besides, I thought I've seen it all about the Gazette and posted what needed to be posted here on my blog over the years. Well I was wrong.

Sunday, the Gazette posted an editorial titled, "Let's Pause Political Rhetoric For Civil Debate" where the the editor writes a story about the National Conference of Editorial Writers starting a Civility Project in an effort to raise the bar on political conversations.

The newspaper (editorial) eventually moves on to explain they're trying to do their part. For example...

Gazette Editorial:
... we won't run a letter from a Janesville woman who compared union protesters to murderous Mexican drug cartels.

If it was a signed letter from a genuine citizen entity in Janesville and did not contain obviously explicit language - why not publish it? That's her opinion. Besides, labor unions have heard it all so letters to newspaper editors won't change the temperature a whole lot.

I'm sure there was nothing new in the letter but the same old lies and smears anyways. But how about the time when their own endorsed Congressman Paul Ryan likened labor unions to Saddam's Hussein's strong-arm Ba'ath Party? Where was the Gazette's quest for civility then? What about the time during a radio interview when the toxic Ryan agreed with Glenn Beck's outrageous statement that "Progressives are a cancer?" How's that for poisoning the well of civil discourse? Or when the ever alarmist Ryan called the protest events in Madison, riots. Oh well, that's different I suppose, why he's a rising star.

But it gets better.

Gazette Editorial:
We wouldn't let another writer suggest Walker accepted a raise.

As we all know, Scott Walker's salary as governor is $7,000 more than the previous governor. Was it technically a raise? Well no, but it was an increase in the governor's annual salary at a time when Walker was cutting compensation for public employees and asked everyone to join him in his "Brown Bag" campaign. It's box wine for everyone!! Except himself of course.

The point is, Walker could have easily rejected the increase in salary by saying the state cannot afford it and that there is nothing to negotiate about it. You know, like he did with public employees. We're broke! Remember? But the fact that the editor rejected a signed letter from someone expressing their opinion without any apparent vulgarity or personal attack is an outrage. This is pure partisan censorship.

But it gets even better about why they rejected that particular citizen's letter.

Gazette Editorial:
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Politifact project debunked that argument, saying it's only a "raise" if you start at one rate and increase to another.

That's why!?? So the editor qualifies readers signed letters, statements and opinions with Politifact. Unbelievable!! But using their logic, I suppose when Walker increased state spending by $1.1 billion, it really wasn't an increase because Walker was not the governor of the previous budget. Walker's starting from a neutral baseline, huh?

Many of the Journal's Politifact editorials have been debunked by several different opinion sources enough times to change their name to PolitiFarce. Plus, they are little more than an opinion editorial themselves. But oh well, if Politifact says so, it must be true or whatever. Sunday funnies!

In the past, the Gazette rebutted reader's letters criticizing Paul Ryan's ideological budget manifestos by issuing an "editor's note" regurgitating Ryan's talking points from his roadmap plan. In a later blog post, the editor explained he thought it was appropriate to post Ryan’s policy statements "to balance the letter writer's right to express himself with our desire to provide accurate information and perspective." No kidding.

The "Civility" editorial continued on about two other PolitiFact statements as if those opinions were the ultimate and irrefutable truth. But the fact that Janesville Gazette editors reject signed letters from local readers by vetting the letter writer's opinions through Politifact is just too bizarre and downright funny. How do we write in cyberspeak? LOL!!

BUT, BUT while the newspaper is now doing Politifact vetting of signed letters from their readers, they have for over the past decade fueled up for twice-a-week bombing raids of random rants, slurs and anonymous hit jobs on public officials, Democrats, school teachers and labor unions and have recently ramped it up during the recall petition drive.

In the past two weeks alone, the Gazette published dozens of dubious individual statements in their anonymous "Sound Off" column about the Walker Recall. These called-in comments were running 5 to 1 against the Recall and were loaded with attacks of mindless, worthless grunts and gurgles against Democrats, Recall petitioners, protesters and anyone opposed to Scott Walker. You'd read worn-out garbage such as, "malcontents demand recalls," "greedy and selfish teachers, "Do these fanatics know," "Democrats belong to unions and they are bought and paid for by Socialist agendas," "don't let the unions intimidate you," "recall Walker means putting unions back in charge," and of course "Unions are not your friend," just to mention a few. The main point is, the Gazette has been running an anti-union marketing agenda and social incivility messaging campaign for years under the guise of anonymity and with zero PolitiFact vetting. The editors have also pompously claimed their newspaper product best reflects the area's political persuasion, when in truth it is exactly the opposite. But they're proud of it. They're professionals.

Lastly, the editor tries to smooth over their obvious authoritarian bias and partisanship by stating that no one, conservatives or liberals, has the fear and rhetoric market cornered. That's true, but why state the obvious unless you're looking for an excuse or equivalency to your own bias?

The truth is, the Janesville Gazette and the mainstream media at-large have had the incivility market cornered all to themselves and they are beginning to lose some of that control. Isn't it time their subscribers demand they practice what they preach? But you can bet they're going to keep their tools of incivility like the Gazette's anonymous "Sound Off" column no matter what, it's YOU who have to give up yours.

Related:

Bliss Com, True Colors

Janesville newspaper rips through Unions with anonymity

Newspaper's Anonymous Column: A place To Offend

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If you haven't yet seen this, check out the latest episode of Civil Discourse Podomatic!

Think You're Just Another Pretty Face In a Big Crowd?

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Nice crowd. But do you think someone could get easily lost in it? Think Again.

Click the photo to load the gigapixal.com Web Page. Pick a face and zoom in. Make sure you have a back on your chair.

This photo was taken by Port Moody photographer Ronnie Miranda that appeared in Tri-City News (24-June).

Another Unholy Alliance With Paul Ryan. When Will Some Democrats Learn?

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Politico Excerpt:
It was a rare moment on Capitol Hill Wednesday afternoon when Reps. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) united to promote an initiative that they said proves that “we don’t always go at each other’s throats around here.”

In a joint TV interview, the odd couple on the House Budget Committee rallied support for the line-item veto legislation, which they had introduced earlier in the day.

President Obama on line-item veto, "I think there's not a President out there that wouldn't love to have it."

Of course! Heh, heh, heh.

This is eerily similar to the time when Russ Feingold teamed up with Paul "Progressives are a cancer" Ryan on the same legislation.

As far as I'm concerned, Paul Ryan was the kiss of death for Russ Feingold and given the heightened sensitivity to Wall Street sell-out politicians like Paul Ryan among the electorate, Chris Van Hollen sold out the 99% with this terrible, terrible move. We're watching.

Don't get me wrong here, I'm crazy about Feingold but that was one of two times in the past twelve years I was embarrassed by his position. Not a bad record, but if there's one thing about fundamental freedom-loving Wisconsinites and true blue Progressives, it's that we never blindly follow our champions when they steer off the path and we're not afraid to tell them that. The blog Down With Tyranny had harsh words for the Ryan/Van Hollen unholy alliance, I completely agree, and also noticed that Wisconsinites don't sell out our independence for a smile and a wink.

Down With tyranny Excerpt:
I always like a Democrat willing to stand up for the 99%-- even if that means standing up to the craven power structure inside of his own party. People in Wisconsin are pretty independent-minded.

Down With Tyranny was referring to Democratic candidate for the 1st congressional District of Wisconsin, Rob Zerban.

According to this article in the Janesville Gazette, Zerban doesn't feel comfortable with the line-item veto because he believes it is unconstitutional. That's good reason enough to oppose it.

But the political blogger at the newspaper poked and scolded Zerban on his position and suggested Zerban needs a refresher course in American Government & Politics.

The blogger implied Zerban's "unconstitutional" position was a poor reason to oppose the legislation since the bill must become law first and only afterwards then proceed through the judicial review process. But if I recall, the entire GOP caucus voted against Obama's Health Care Reform Act ...because ...they thought it to be unconstitutional. So, is Rob Zerban the only one not entitled to form an opinion against legislation because he thinks it might not pass constitutional muster? Is it okay for members of Congress to oppose legislation before it goes through the judicial process? You bet it's okay. Zerban was right to issue his opposition in that context. This attack on Zerban was totally uncalled for and without merit.

Rob Zerban is exactly the kind of thinking we need in Congress to stop the wholesale selling out of America. If you'd like to help Zerban's campaign, check out the Stop Paul Ryan ActBlue page - it's open 24/7.

I've written fairly extensively about the Janesville line-item veto in the past and, only with the assumption it is constitutional, find it to be an abhorrent expansion of executive powers that will politicize the pork barrel earmark process more than it already is - as if anyone thought THAT was more possible. Look no further than this legislation.

Older stuff on the line-item veto

March, 2009 - Line Item Veto a Trap For Obama

April, 2007 - If Bush Had The Janesville Veto

April, 2007 - Feingold/Ryan Veto Act Surrenders Purse

After Looting Communities, Walker Gives Away $4 Million Just for Asking

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Wisbusiness Excerpt:
Governor Scott Walker announced today that Spectrum Brands Holdings has received a $4,000,000 award from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to maintain jobs at its corporate headquarters in the Madison area and make capital investments at its Wisconsin operations.

That's not quite exactly the real story here, at least not according to new media investigative sources.

The story about Spectrum Brands winning a $4 million dollar hand-out seems to revolve around the idea that Spectrum was gearing up to make about $40 million worth of capital investments in its Wisconsin operations and hire up to 60 persons to fill key positions at their Madison headquarters, all on their own. Which means that Scott Walker was either first left out of the "economic expansion" publicity loop, but was able to buy his way into "saving" jobs after the fact for a cool $4 million dollars OR handed out the money simply for the asking.

Blue Cheddar Excerpt:
When asked by a local radio reporter if the company had planned to leave, a Spectrum spokesman answered “No, not really.” They got the money because they asked for it. Jobs were not threatened. They were paid for promising to do what they had already planned to do. The WEDC press release gives details of the “award”: “This award has been provided to preserve jobs at Spectrum Brands headquarters as part of the company’s investment in its operations,” according to Paul Jadin, CEO of the WEDC. The terms of the award require Spectrum Brands to maintain up to 470 existing full-time [...]

At this point, that there are "conditions" to the forgivable loan award is irrelevant if not somewhat comical. But I don't blame Spectrum Brands at all for jumping at ridiculously easy money. This is the dawn of new era of reverse robin hood taxpayer funded ransom package entitlements where only the wealthiest "job creators" can qualify.

Audio: Sly Radio Show Excerpt



Sly in the Morning - Full Radio Show Audio

Democurmudgeon - Walker gives away $4 million for the heck of it

Blue Cheddar - 4 million? For what??