Archive for 2012
June 6, 2012
June 5, 2012
JIM GERAGHTY: How Scott Walker Helped Unions and Democrats Tonight. “He has liberated them from the soothing illusion that they are popular, and that the public agrees with them.”
UPDATE: Dan Riehl: A Moment To Reflect On Our Valiant Opposition In Wisconsin.
ANN ALTHOUSE: “Look at the blue-red balance on the map for last year’s state supreme court battle. Now look at tonight’s map.” Wow. The Dems really did double-down on failure. And judging by Barrett’s speech, they’re going to keep going.
UPDATE: Progressives Utterly Crushed After Failed Wisconsin Recall.
Plus: RECALL WINNER Rebecca Kleefisch: “THIS Is What Democracy Looks Like” (Video).
ANOTHER UPDATE: Ann Althouse on Walker’s speech: “A very satisfying evening. I was touched to see Scott Walker, speaking in such a selfless, public-spirited way, after all the abuse he’s taken for well over a year. He must feel so relieved and so vindicated, but the wasn’t a shred of gloating or even basking. What a moment!”
I’ll be gloating and basking a bit tonight. Sorry. . . .
MORE: WI union leader: “We’re not going to pull a blanket over our head and pee in our pajamas.” Maybe you should.
AN UNSUCCESSFUL INTIMIDATION ATTEMPT. This probably wasn’t a Kimberlin lackey. But next time, photograph the photographer. And his license plate.
LITIGATION: Judicial Watch Sues Air Force and Secret Service for Records Detailing Michelle Obama’s Family Ski Vacation to Aspen, Colorado. “Pursuant to its original February 21, 2012, FOIA request with the U.S. Air Force, Judicial Watch seeks access to any and all records concerning the mission taskings, transportation costs and passenger manifests for Mrs. Obama’s February 2012 trip to Aspen, Colorado.”
AT AMAZON, coupons galore in Health & Personal Care.
STACY MCCAIN: Fear And Loathing on Capitol Hill. “Where are those spineless Republican bastards in Congress when we need ‘em, huh?”
HOW DEMOCRATS lost the middle class.
FOX CALLS WISCONSIN WINS FOR GOV. WALKER, LT. GOV. KLEEFISCH.
UPDATE: CNN calls it for Walker.
ANOTHER UPDATE: NBC calls it for Walker. Larry O’Donnell is blaming it all on Citizens United. I suppose that’ll be tomorrow’s excuse. But the truth is, the unions brought all their big guns and it wasn’t enough. I guess you just can’t get good goons these days. And remember, this is just the latest in a series of defeats:
When the street protests didn’t work out, the public employee unions decided to make a “nonpartisan” judicial election a referendum over Wisconsin’s anti-union legislation.
The Service Employees International Union and other labor groups went all in on the election, but still lost. A pointless recount failed even to narrow the margin significantly.
Bottom line: All the might of the public employee unions wasn’t even able to swing a nonpartisan, off-year, judicial election. Can you say “paper tiger”?
Yes, we can.
MORE: Fireworks at Prof. Jacobson’s place.
And reader Christopher Mazur writes: “Today is the first day of November.”
STILL MORE: Governor Walker’s Victory Spells Doom For Public Sector Unions.
Don’t get cocky, kid.
On the other hand, this is another Tea Party I-Told-You-So.
MORE STILL: Wisconsin: Stalingrad of the Left?
Well, Russ Feingold said it’s not over till we win, which is kinda like the German position in Stalingrad. . . . But comparing one’s opponents to Hitler is right out. Right, Russ? Oh, never mind. . . .
THE LAST WORD: Bwahahahahaha! “Republicans also appear to have taken all four senate seats by massive margins.”
ANN ALTHOUSE is live-blogging Wisconsin.
UPDATE: Live-chatting over at Prof. Jacobson’s place.
WALTER RUSSELL MEAD: Beyond Wisconsin: Blue on Blue in California. “Although it may surprise readers of the New York Times, Wisconsin is not the only state going to the polls today. Nor is the fate of Scott Walker the only battle in the War on Blue. Six other states also vote today, and two local ballot measures in California are especially worth following. . . . The harsh realities of a looming fiscal catastrophe have a way of focusing the mind and blurring ideological divisions: San Diego’s mayor is a Republican; San Jose’s is a Democrat. Both agree on the need to reform public pensions.”
THE CAVALRY ARRIVES: Eugene Volokh: “I’m pleased to say that I’ll be consulting with Aaron Walker’s defense lawyer in the case I discussed last week.” He’s working pro bono.
REPORT FROM WISCONSIN: Reader George Milonas emails: “I’m waiting in line to vote in Racine Wisconsin. There are about 50 people ahead of me right now. It’s a massive turnout. I’ve never had to wait to vote before ever in this town. I’ll send a pic in another email.”
Here’s the pic:
And turnout sure is high: Report: 119% Voter Turnout in Madison, WI. I’ll bet it wouldn’t have been this high if they’d required photo ID. Knowing that the Justice Department is overseeing things, I’m sure there won’t be any voter fraud. . . .
SCIENTISTS: There Is A Link Between Genius and Insanity. That explains Jim Treacher.
LET THIS BE A LESSON TO OTHERS: Georgia Dem Political Director drops suit against Georgia conservative blogger. “The lawsuit was a classic boomerang, as the legal foundation for the suit was weak and it exposed Political Director’s criminal record to widespread broadcast. . . . Now the lawsuit has been dropped.”
But now a lot more people know about Rashad Richey’s criminal record than would be the case if Richey had been smart enough to stay out of court. I’ve warned people about this kind of thing before, more than once.
And I still hold to my earlier opinion: “Criminal record aside, this kind of obvious PR stupidity ought to disqualify him for a political-director slot on its own, I’d think.”
BRET STEPHENS: Lady GaGa vs. Global Jihad:
So here’s the latest news from Planet Gaga: Last week, the star announced she was canceling her June 3 Jakarta concert date, disappointing the 52,000 ticket holders who had sold out the show in days. The reason? A group called the Front for the Defense of Islam, or FPI, had threatened to “wreak havoc” at the concert. Their reason? She brings “the faith of Satan to our country and thus will destroy the nation’s morals,” according to an FPI leader.
Then again, who isn’t bringing Satan to the Muslim world these days?
Shortly before Gaga’s canceled appearance, Irshad Manji, director of the Moral Courage Project at New York University, visited Indonesia to promote her moving new book, “Allah, Liberty and Love.” Ms. Manji is a faithful Muslim, a refugee from Idi Amin’s Uganda to Canada, and the author of the 2004 best seller, “The Trouble With Islam.” That book’s subtitle, “A Muslim’s Call for Reform in Her Faith,” gives away the gist.
Ms. Manji is also no stranger to Indonesia, having toured the country four years ago to promote her last book. Back then, she found a mostly tolerant country, eager to debate her ideas if not always to embrace them. Not anymore.
Huh. What’s changed over the past four years?
HOW TO WATCH TONIGHT’S VENUS TRANSIT.
FREE FALLING: Skydiver Aims to Smash Record, Sound Barrier in 23-Mile Jump. “As he plummets 23 miles in the highest skydive ever, Baumgartner will become the first person to break the sound barrier in free fall. That’s the plan, anyway. To even attempt this will expose him to many challenges, including the risk that water in his body could vaporize. But one challenge in particular is foremost in everyone’s mind: What happens when Baumgartner encounters the shock waves that invariably occur when something exceeds the speed of sound? No one really knows.”
THIS IS A PET PEEVE OF THE INSTA-WIFE’S: Gadgets Have Too Many LEDs. “Where has all the darkness gone? Appliances, toys, and gadgets fill our nighttime hours with an ever-present glow.”