Monday Open Thread
Welcome to your Monday open thread. Did you get enough rest over the weekend. I did absolutely NOTHING and it was wonderful. I’m ready and raring to go today.
The shove did make the news, and the video of it is lurching toward 300,000 views on YouTube. It confirmed, for conservatives, that union thugs were fighting back over Wisconsin. Every reasonably solid video of a shove or insult made it to Breitbart.tv. They just haven’t broken into the narrative about the protests the way that 2009 videos of rebellion at congressional town halls did, or even Hartsock’s Palm Springs video did. (This week, some congressional Republicans called for an investigation of Common Cause because the group had organized the event where those activists embarrassed themselves on camera.) There hasn’t been any dip in support for unions; there has been a dip in support for Scott Walker.
The videographers have not given up. FreedomWorks activists are on the ground in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, and Utah “this weekend through the next two weeks,” according to the group. They want to supplement the FlipCam videos they’ve already been getting. They want documentary evidence of union anger out there so powerful that the media can’t avoid it. But who doesn’t know that he’s venturing into the view of tiny cameras every time he attends a rally? Who trusts the media? Who wants to wind up as the face of Violence Breaking Out and wrecking his cause? The new age of protests is bringing on more self-consciousness and more détente.
Fox News has certainly tried to pretend that the protests are full of angry union thugs. One reporter even falsely reported being hit (until the actual footage was uncovered). The media-savvy of the protests is pretty amazing, really. The protests are on-message and largely free of mixed messages and unnecessary street theater. Good job Wisconsin, thanks for showing us the way.
There is some intense interest among media types about Glenn Beck’s ratings dive. He continues to bleed audience (Rachel Maddow is now beating him in some demographic categories) and he’s lost more than 300 sponsors. Several media commentors think Beck’s increasingly elaborate and ever-widening conspiracy theories may be to blame. Adam Serwer thinks Beck’s rise and fall is related to the rise and fall in intensity among conservatives.
Downie suggests that this is because Beck’s conspiracies have gotten more baroque and apocalyptic. I’m not so sure — but I think the answer may be in this Pew poll Ben Smith flagged yesterday showing that the number of people “angry at the federal government” has declined by 9 percent. According to Pew, “much of the decline” comes from “Republicans and Tea Party supporters.” Republicans have calmed down, and Beck has stayed high-strung.
The whole Republican narrative is based on the idea that conservatives are the “real Americans” and that liberals and Democrats are illegitimate democratic actors who only gain power through illicit means. Beck and his chalkboard met the need conservatives had to persuade themselves of this in the aftermath of political losses in 2006 and particularly 2008. Republicans, having regained control of the House and excised the existential crisis caused by losing the presidential election, feel like things are “getting back to normal.” So they simply don’t have the same appetite for the kind of cathartic insanity Beck provides. It’s not really that Beck has really changed; it’s that Republicans don’t really need him anymore.
I agree with this assessment. There’s a definite loss in GOP intensity since they managed to make major gains in Congress. Also there’s been some improvement in the economy, so that could play a role as well.
Tags: Open Thread
Strokes, heart attacks and aneurisms probably account for some of the drop off. You can’t keep simmering in bile for months at a time like that. All the jaw clenching and anus puckering takes a toll.
I am pissed at Harry Reid after reading a fb posting this morning that showed that his freaking lame ass compromise with the GOP Senate, his hand-shake between honorable parties, turned into a pile of steaming crap.
From Stephen Scott Crockett – I knew these Republicans were lying when they promised to stop abusing Senate rules. You cannot compromise with evil! The Senate needs to remove the power of Senators to put holds on any bill regardless of the reasons stated. They are elected representatives from their states not dictators over all Americans.
ThinkProgress » Eight GOP Senators Reignite Filibuster War With Blanket Threat To Block All
thinkprogress.org
Just over one month ago, the Senate largely abandoned a plan to ambitiously reform the Senate rules after the GOP agreed to a “handshake deal” which would curb the unprecedented spike in filibusters since the GOP lost control of the Senate. Rather than uphold their side of the bargain, eight Republi
And then I read this about his good-for-nothing son, Rory:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/mar/06/rory-reids-house-cards-crumbles/
grrrrrrrr
And then there’s this: if you want to make sure that the redrawing of legislative districts is fair, you will have to bear witness to the process. The NCC Council made their most recent redistricting an open process so we know it can be done with DEM leadership.
But there is a Resolution that has been distributed at leg hall since January and though there are sponsors on both sides of the aisle, it hasn’t been filed yet. So, if everyone calls their reps in the Assembly, maybe this can fly.
John Flaherty and Frank Sims, of DelCOG and the CLNCC repsectively, are taking the lead on this and Frank will be on with Allan Loudell at the 5PM news hour to discuss it tonight.
here’s a link to the Resolution’s language et al
http://delawareway.blogspot.com/2011/03/call-your-senate-and-house-members-to.html
This day in History:
March 7
The King punished the colonists for the Boston Tea Party.
He passed the Boston Port Act, MARCH 7, 1774, effectively closing the
harbor to all commerce, intentionally ruining their economy.
Surrounding towns rallied by sending food.
William Prescott, who later commanded at Bunker Hill, wrote:
“Providence has placed you where you must stand the first shock…
If we submit to these regulations, all is gone…”
William Prescott continued:
“Our forefathers passed the vast Atlantic, spent their blood and
treasure, that they might enjoy their liberties, both civil and
religious, and transmit them to their posterity…
Now if we should give them up, can our children rise up and call us
blessed?”
Upon hearing of the Boston Port Act, Thomas Jefferson drafted a Day
of Fasting & Prayer resolution, which was introduced in the Virginia
House of Burgesses by Robert Carter Nicholas, May 24, 1774, being
supported by Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee and George Mason.
It passed unanimously:
“This House, being deeply impressed with apprehension…from the
hostile invasion of the city of Boston in our Sister Colony of
Massachusetts Bay, whose commerce and harbor are, on the first day of June next, to be stopped by an armed force, deem it highly necessary that the said first day of June be set apart, by the members of this House, as a Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer, devoutly to implore the Divine interposition, for averting the heavy calamity which threatens destruction to our civil rights.”
On the day of the appointed fast, June 1, 1774, George Washington
wrote in his diary:
“Went to church, fasted all day.”
The King’s appointed Royal Governor, Lord Dunmore, was so upset by
this Day of Fasting & Prayer resolution that two days later he
dissolved Virginia’s House of Burgesses.
Virginia’s colonial leaders went down the street and gathered in
Raleigh Tavern, where they decided to form a Continental Congress,
which two years later would vote for independence from the King.
I agree. That a bunch of fat ass, rascal scooter driving dolts feel related to the founders is hilarious.
and this day in Present…. Teabaggers still have NO concept of american history beyond what Glenn Beck has fed them.
Your takeaway should be that the oppressed resisted the oppressor by standing together — a principle foreign to today’s selfishness-dominated “Tea” Party.
President Obama announced Monday that military trials will resume for detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, saying the tribunals are an “important tool in combating international terrorists.”
Greek debt price soars as Moody’s cuts credit rating cut below Egypt
The Telegraph 3/7/2011 Richard Blackden
Greek government has reacted angrily to Moody’s decision to cut the country’s credit rating below that of Egypt, a move that prompted investors to dump the debt of other struggling European economies.
The country’s debt was lowered to B1 from Ba1, as the ratings agency warned that Greece faces a shortfall in tax revenue and huge challenges in reforming state-owned companies and its costly healthcare system.
“The sheer magnitude of the task is becoming ever more apparent,” said Sarah Carlson, an analyst at Moody’s.
The Greek Finance Ministry yesterday described Moody’s move as “totally unjustfied”.
“Having completely missed the build-up of risk that led to the global financial crisis in 2008, the rating agencies are now competing with each other to be the first to identify risks that will lead to the next crisis,” it said.
The row did little to reassures investors, who drove the yield on 10-year Greek bonds to 12.32pc, as prices for Irish and Portguese bonds also fell.
Moody’s decision comes ahead of a meeting of leaders this month designed to create a bail-out mechanism
Progressive Majority reporting, Senator Bob Jauch Democrat (wi) stated this morning on a radio talk show, 6 or 7 republicans “really hate this bill” and are looking at alternatives”. Jauch said, “he predicts the republicans are fearful they too will be in the recall”. Repukes have to be looking at the numbers, hundreds of thousands against it and a few baggers (many bussed in) in opposition. Righty Newsmax is worried, calling on their supporters to send money and send bodies to Wis. to help Walker.
While the Newsmaxies bus in out of state Teabagz, Wisconsin farmers from across the state are bringing “tractors and solidarity to the WI capitol to fight for labor rights and a just state budget.”
How awesome is that?
all the states have to do is buy those 12% Greek bonds and that will solve the pension problems…
the bottom line is, as She Who Shall Not Be Named recently learned – you can spend all the money you want, you can bus in as many T-Bagger supporters as you can jam onto a Greyhound bus, you can sream and rant all you want BUT:
what you cannot do is VOTE – if you are not a resident of that state or district
and I think the WI Rethuglicans have realised that fact, finally – of course, they could have just asked COD how that worked out for her…
I can’t find any results for the Town of Middletown election results–anyone care to share?
Middletown had elections? Who knew.