Fireside Chat?

I don’t know why, but I pictured a roaring fire and Walker in a smoking jacket with a brandy snifter. Anyway, it’s funny how Walker calls his little address a “Fireside Chat.” Invoking FDR because he was against public sector unions?

I watched it. Anyway, why does he keep talking about the taxpayers? Is he forgetting that these union workers are taxpayers too? And his answer to why he wants to end collective bargaining rights? “Because the system is broken.” Be honest, Scotty. You don’t want them to have a voice down the road when you make even more cuts. Of course, he implores the Wisconsin 14 to return. 9 minutes of speaking could have been summed up in one sentence. “I’m gutting the Union like a fish, and there ain’t a damn thing you can do about it.”

We’ll see, Scotty. We’ll see.

Killed by Somali Pirates

4 American Hostages Killed by Pirates, US Says

This was in my drafts queue before the tragic turn of events. I really thought they could have been saved by the warship.

What I don’t understand is why the Navy negotiated instead of boarding the yacht and killing the pirates. Negotiations are fine, but given the situation, I would have said, “Screw all that. Let’s get the Americans.” My reasoning is that by the time the warship was tailing them, I believe the pirates figured out that the couples had no money. They were missionaries, and even though they had a yacht, they weren’t rich. I believe that would have already pissed off the pirates.

President Obama already authorized the use of force on Saturday. I wish they used it as soon as he gave it. I know. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know why they chose that course of action.

I’m really sad. They were living their dream and handing out Bibles throughout the South Pacific. I think it’s great when people spread God’s Love, provided it isn’t used to harm and subjugate people (i.e., Spanish Colonists).

I don’t know what happens after we die. Reincarnation? Heaven or Hell? Anyway, to the missionaries, since you are Christians, you know God has already prepared a place for you. Enjoy. To the pirates, this is one of those times that I hope there is a lake of fire waiting for you in which you burn for eternity.

Walker is “Whigging” Out

And to think I believed that what the Democrat Senators are doing was new and unprecedented. Boy, was I ever wrong. After reading carefully this time what woodgatesview commented, Texas Democrats did the same thing. They were known the Texas Eleven.

President, but then State Senator, Lincoln did the exact same thing in Illinois. Although, his exit was a lot more dramatic. He jumped out of a 2nd story window.

This type of quorum avoidance can be traced back to the passage of our Constitution. Some were dragged out of pubs to vote.

Hmm this makes me think about forcing people to vote. Dragged out of pubs? Lincoln had to jump out of that window because the Whigs locked everyone in when they tried to avoid the quorum vote. Super hard core and I would argue, police state-ish.

That’s not the point, though. Right or wrong, we are a nation all about disrupting the process. And there really is nothing new under the sun.

Still at the Capitol, Still on the Lam

Neither Side Budging in Wisconsin Union Fight

That’s where we’re at right now. I have heard a lot from the Right about how the 14 State Senators should come back and do their duty. They should have the vote, and the people should just deal with it it. “Running away,” being “cowardly” and avoiding the vote is not how we operate. The Union protesters and the 14 Senators are “disrupting the process.”

This country is all about disrupting the process – from the day we were born. “How we operate” can change. Up until 1920, women could not vote. Women voting wasn’t how we operated. After protest, we won the right and the Constitution was amended.

The 14 Senators are challenging the system. Senator Scott Larson summed it up quite well. “It’s all up to Scott Walker. He said when he announced this last Friday that there is no negotiations. He pulled the table away. There’s no table to go to. Until he puts it back, there’s no table to come back to.”

Governor Walker does not believe his piece of crap legislation is union-busting. He really expects people to believe that? Taking away collective bargaining rights is essentially gutting the union. That is where their power lies. He is doing this so he’ll have the “flexibility”/power to make deep cuts later. So despite the fact that the unions are willing to make concessions, the governor is screwing them now by taking away their rights so he can screw them later because they won’t have the power to say no.

Sorry, Scott. They’re not going to take this. Especially since you spared the police, firefighters and state troopers who supported your campaign. The Union members are constituents too, you know. Their 14 State Senators have a right to make sure their voices are heard. They’re gone because you refused to even acknowledge their voices by saying, “no negotiations.”

We may be witnessing another disruption of the process through 14 Senators refusing to vote. What changes will happen because of this? Will the Wisconsin Constitution be amended because of this unprecedented event? This is very exciting. Things can change so fast. As I am writing this, the GOP has upped the ante by wanting to force a vote on a bill that will require people showing IDs at the polls. They think this will make the Democrats come back. The Democrats have called their bluff. In the union-gutting bill there is a bond refinancing measure that must be acted on by Friday so the state can pay its bills. Holy Crap! What’s going to happen next?

Wait and see. That’s all we can do. Wait and see.

Just FYI: Ian’s Pizza has received orders from around the world to support the protesters. The most notable was……….CAIRO, EGYPT!

You can still feed those in it until the bitter end.
Ian’s Pizza will be open again for orders after 9:00 AM CST.
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