Checklist: Recall Petitioners Rights

Tweet

From One Wisconsin Now

Excerpt:
• You do not need a government-issued photo identification to circulate or sign a recall petition (but you will need a photo ID to vote in the next election).

• You do not need to be a registered voter to circulate or sign a recall petition.

• As long as you are a qualified elector in Wisconsin, you can sign a recall petition whether or not you have ever voted in Wisconsin.

Check out the full list of rights here.

Project: Random Person Creates New Pledge For Congress

Tweet

For the past two decades, many Senators and House members of the United States Congress have signed a pledge that intentionally ties the hands of legislative power, making it practically impossible for Congress to exercise full fiscal authority as outlined in the U.S. Constitution.

That pledge, commonly known as the Taxpayer Protection Pledge (TPP), prevents Congress from meeting its fiscal obligation as prescribed in Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. The signers of the TPP have in effect pledged to abandon their fiduciary responsibility to the Federal Government, and in doing so have guaranteed insufficient funds to pay the nation’s bills.

Instead of fulfilling this important fiscal obligation as prescribed in Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution, the TPP pledge has taken on the form of an ideological based conspiracy forcing the government to borrow from third party lenders and even hostile sources, driving us deeper into an unsustainable debt spiral which in turn has weakened our government's promise to keep its obligations and ability to perform, thus endangering the American people and our nation's future. Sadly, the consequences resulting from the signers action appear to be fully intentional.

Unlike the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, this New Pledge to the Constitution is not a got'cha document designed to trap lawmakers or to drown government in a bathtub. This reaffirmation is not about whether to borrow or spend, balanced budgets or lowering or increasing taxes. The multitude of issues surrounding those decisions are far too complex to address with a simple pledge or amendment.

Also, reaffirming and adhering to powers granted in the Constitution is not about partisan politics or social and economic philosophies, or ideological principles. But reaffirming your oath to office as outlined in Article VI - Debts, Supremacy, Oaths is an American hallmark of responsibility and patriotism our Founding Fathers recognized immediately and deemed absolutely necessary for its leaders to commit to in order for our nation to survive. This new pledge is not to constituents as the author of the TPP claims his to be, instead it's to the Constitution. It must be solemn and sincere and have no superior. In short, swearing allegiance to the U.S. Constitution is not a conspiracy.

I strongly believe that the signers of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge nullified orders of function set forth in the Constitution and broke their oath of office, and by doing so have committed an impeachable offense if not treasonous act. If you agree, contact your Senator and House Representative and ask them to clarify their oath and reaffirm the Constitutional Powers of Congress they were elected to exercise by sending them this petition for signing. Your help on this matter is greatly appreciated.

Thank You,
Louis Kaye, a real random person
(Not a lobbyist. Not a member of a political party or special interest group.)

Will your elected official sign this pledge?

I, _______________________, of the (______ district of the) state of _______________, with my Constituents as my witness, pledge that I will: ONE, reaffirm my Constitutional Oath of Office and abide to all duties and responsibilities as described there-in; TWO, that I will NEVER pledge or act to circumvent or obstruct constitutional powers of Congress including but not limited to Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution; ”The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States and THREE, that no person, special interest, constituent or other, shall interfere, come above or between those powers of which I am duly elected and duty bound to exercise.

So help me God.

Original text published - November 16, 2011
Dedicated Web Page with sample opening letter.

Please send all signed petitions and responses to reaffirmationoath@gmail.com.

It's Bloody Friday For Wal-Mart Shoppers

Tweet

I'm amazed that they are cracking heads and using pepper spray on shoppers INSIDE the stores while outside the stores, shoppers are being robbed at gunpoint. Have we reached the point where police no longer serve the public but are instead protecting only the private registers of the wealthy?

Grandfather Roughed Up in Walmart *Language Warning*

Don't Let Republicans Tilt The Poll Workers

Tweet

I have to hand to Wisconsin Republicans, they've thought of just about everything under the Sun to rig the game and appear fully geared to neutralize Democratic majorities by diluting districts to steal elections from majority rule. Now, Republicans want to resurrect a little used state law that allows political parties to choose the poll workers. That's right.

WKOW Excerpt:
That law dates back to the 1970s, but Andrusz told 27 News she has never received a list from either political party since she started at the clerk's office ten years ago.

When we asked the Republican Party of Wisconsin why its choosing to submit names at this time, Spokesperson Nicole Larson responded in an emailed statement.

"In regard to the poll watchers, the Republican Party of Wisconsin is committed to a fair election process and we are in complete compliance with Government Accountability Board rules," the statement read.

Under those rules, if Republicans and Democrats both supplied names to a local municipality, election officials there would have to make sure the party which received the largest number of votes in the last presidential or gubernatorial election is entitled to one more inspector than the other party.

If the Democrats didn't supply a list of their own, the remaining workers would be appointed by local election officials.

That would be a mistake. Imagine having an army of trained Kathy Nickolauses, J.B. Van Hollens and David Prossers "poll workers" overseeing official polling places during the Recall Election. That would be the ultimate mockery of democracy in Wisconsin. Volunteers collecting signatures for the recall petitions deserve the assurance that their hard work was not in vain. I would prefer non-party officials at the polling places, but Democrats will have no recourse but to match them if the Republican party follows through on this outrageous plan.

---

Walker Ad Reality Checked

Giving Thanks This Thanksgiving

Tweet

I'm thankful that we have recalls in Wisconsin and that the people will have a chance to move forward and take back this great state. The more people learn about Scott Walker, the angrier they get. Obviously, there are a lot of reasons to be angry but many realize there's too much at stake to not get involved. People refuse to give up or move out and instead are standing up shoulder-to-shoulder and neighbor-to-neighbor, many coming out and getting involved for the first time to recall Scott Walker. It's phenomenal! I'm grateful to those wonderful people working the front lines in our struggle. God bless them and ours in this glorious effort to restore those high moral values we cherish in Wisconsin. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Fitzwalkerstan Pulling Down National Economy With Job Losses

Tweet

Wisconsin had the most October job losses of any state.

TMJ4 Excerpt:
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Unemployment rates fell in three-quarters of U.S. states last month, a sign that many parts of the country are experiencing modest job gains.

Unemployment rates fell in 36 states in October and rose in only 5, the Labor Department said Tuesday. Rates were unchanged in 9 states. That's the best showing since April, when rates fell in 39 states.[...]Wisconsin reported the biggest job loss, a drop of 9,700, followed by New York, which shed 8,300.

We need to stop this madness and recall Walker.

Rewrite: Gazette Opinion Editor Writes Effectionately For Buying Local

Tweet

I couldn't let this blog entry by the Janesville Gazette "Opinion" editor get past me without setting their record straight.

Asking, "Will you be trying to “buy local” this holiday season," he writes inquisitively and with a fair level of effection about a promotion for shoppers to start buying local. He rehashes, it's the "Birth of a New Tradition!" "A conservative friend sent it" and "this piece originated from the tea party folks" and "It’s time to think outside the box, people!!" and asks, "What ideas would you suggest?"

Pretty harmless stuff, right?

Yeah. Except there's a big problem with this. When it comes to "local" ideas in Rock County, Wisconsin and encouraging people to buy local, few compare to our lil' former State Senator Judy Robson, and she ain't no Tea Party. But she was way ahead of her time on this.

See, in the recent past, the anti-social, anti-union Gazette regularly bashed and ridiculed Robson for her "too liberal" ideas, and when she proposed a "Buy Local" state-wide campaign back in 2007, they offered no kind or supportive words like, "thinking outside the box," or "hey, one of our local leaders proposed this common sense idea!" Not even close. As usual for the time, the Gazette editorial staff mocked and whipped the State Senator in their editorial for her buy local proposal. Yeah, she's a Democrat and a liberal I suppose was reason enough. But they're either brazen GOP-paid political propagandists masquerading as a legitimate newspaper ... or nuts. If you're a regular reader here, you'll know the answer to that one.

Unfortunately, I do not have excerpts of the newspaper's editorial from 2007 attacking Robson's "Buy Local" in my archives.

Super Committee Was Doomed To Fail

Tweet

Regardless of where you might stand on the lack of a deal from the Super Congress Committee, they were doomed to fail from the very start. Again, that might be a good thing depending on your view. Much has also been speculated on how Obama set this up to fail in order to gain some political capital and blame it on Republicans. I'd actually like to think that was true, that he gave them a taste of their own medicine. But I highly doubt it since Republicans chose their own six members to sit on the committee. They were the ones to set it up to fail. Here's why.

Immediately before all the members of the super committee were appointed, I recall Lawrence O'Donnell on his MSNBC Show suggesting that the only way the committee can operate as intended and negotiate in good faith with all the marbles on the table, was to make sure none of the appointees were Norquist pledge signers. Afterall, this was a debt commission and without the willingness to raise revenue to pay the bills there was no way a balanced deal could be reached.

Soon after O'Donnell's sharp observation, I wrote here that our worst fears have come true. All six Republicans appointed to the Super Congress Committee were pathetic Norquist pledgers.

On the flip side, it's worth to note how different the paid politicos and corporate talking heads viewed those chosen to serve on the committee. They predictably and laughably suggested the membership lineup on the super committee gave hope for a deal. Yeaaa rrright.

No doubt about it. For good or for bad, it was fated to happen. Republicans doomed it to fail.