As the Middle East is convulsing in a huge swath of violent confrontation with protesters across thousands of miles standing up to their oppressive governments, America may be experiencing the first skirmish in its own building civil war. The battle lines drawn in Wisconsin, and developing in Ohio and other Republican-led states, are ostensibly over union rights. Republicans want to cripple public sector unions by ending their right to collective bargaining, while Democrats are fighting to maintain this hard-fought right, understanding it as the last bulwark of workers’ power needed to protect workers’ interests.

The national conversation on most issues echoes the two opposing political perspectives, giving equal weight to each. More often than not, however, this discussion is a distraction from the underlying truth. If one looks at the Republican side of every argument, the real beneficiaries are the large corporate interests who donate to right-wing politicians and who subsidize a blizzard of propaganda through astro-turf interest groups, through well-publicized but very controversial “scientific findings”, through special interest advertising, and, of course, through FOX news.
Let us remember that it is big oil that pays for the bogus global-warming-is-a-hoax studies. Let us remember it was the defense industry that benefited from the false weapons-of-mass- destruction excuse for the Iraq War. Let us consider how the health care and insurance industries fought the health care legislation and benefited from the false “death panel” fear-mongering and other nonsense put forth during the health care debate. Let us understand that it is Corporate America and the super wealthy that benefit from the repeatedly disproven lies about how low taxes and deregulation strengthen the economy. And finally, let us remember that it is Corporate America that benefits from crushing unions, the last hold-out of big Democratic spending, so that their Republican patsies can pass corporate-friendly legislation with less and less opposition. It is likely that most Republicans who take the corporate side in these arguments believe the arguments they spout in defense of their policies, but that is nothing more than a tribute to the success of the billions of dollars the global corporations have poured into convincing and subsidizing them.

http://starlightnews.com/wordpress/?p=195

Dick Lugar is a Republican.

Good morning, pups. It’s Dowd, Herbert and Rich today. Mr. Kristof is off today, and The Moustache of Wisdom is back on book tour. In “Stars and Sewers” MoDo has a question: Is technology rewiring our brains to be more callous? Mr. Herbert addresses “The Human Cost of Budget Cutting,” and says more necessary now than ever, community action agencies are threatened with draconian cuts. Mr. Rich, in “The G.O.P.’s Post-Tucson Traumatic Stress Disorder,” says the Republicans are adrift with a shortfall of substance, offering the president a golden chance to seize the moment. Given the last two years, the odds are excellent that the opportunity will be squandered.

Here they are.

The coffee, tea and hot chocolate are ready, and I’ve got French toast made with challah and a bit of cinnamon, with warm maple syrup. Now I’m off to get another cup of tea and start back in on the work that fell behind while the computer was in the shop. Have a great day.

Maybe Elliott has been infected by Fox News, who generally does that sort of thing? Elliott — step away from Fox!

Why would you watch these Sunday news shows? So you can read the transcript later to be sure you heard what you thought you heard? What do the advertisers make when you read the transcript? Any kernels of truth will be repeated later in news reports.

I want to hear what Harold Ford has to say. Also Donald Rumsfeld. Lindsey Graham. Holly Petraeus. Whoopee do.

I wonder what Cokie Roberts will say? Does Cokie Roberts resemble actress June Lockhart, i.e., Lassie’s mom? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Lockhart

“For What It’s Worth” is definitely on the short list of great songs.

I read Frank Rich last night.

He says that Mitt Romney’s public image is “as an otherworldly visitor from an Aqua Velva commercial circa 1985.”

I was amused.

Every now and then he produces a gem. That made me snort too — he’s absolutely right, though!

Meet the press Roundtable:

Jennifer Granholm, Harold Ford, Ed Gillespie, Rick Santelli.

I wonder if there’s an infomercial on I can watch.

i found it incredibly hopeful that religious leaders in wisc are standing up, it seems ez to forget that it’s not all bs

The illustration accompanying the Frank Rich column is hilarious!

But the GOP needs the sailor from Old Spice – so Mitt’s Aqua Velva after shave perfume look is just not going to cut it.

Funniest quip so far 2011.

I want to hear what Harold Ford has to say. Also Donald Rumsfeld

What on Earth for? Are they “smart” like Haley Barbour and Pat Buchanan?

Hahahahaha. Nice zing!

I read the “Holly Petraeus. Whoopee do.” part of the line as indicating the line was sarcasm – if not it should have been.

Morning!

Meanwhile the Amanda Knox made for US TV movie that casts the police report – and her real weird post arrest cart-wheels – as proof of guilt – is being taken apart on the Today Show – with a Linda Stasi (“movie critic”) defending the screw up the appeal process movie.

Just another day with the US media.

I read the “Holly Petraeus. Whoopee do.” part of the line as indicating the line was sarcasm – if not it should have been.

I, on the other hand, have heard gvandergrift on more than one occasion extolling Barbour’s virtues so I have no doubt that s/he genuinely wants to hear Ford and Rumsfeld.

Would love to hear Rumsfeld—–in a world court trial for crimes against humanity.

What a line-up! I haven’t watched Meet the Press in I don’t even know how long at this point. David Gregory is a complete joke as an interviewer.

A walk down Memory Lane

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07/nbcs_gregory_to_sanfords_office_meet_the_press_all.php

Any predictions on how WI will turn out?

Tel Aviv must hast gotten a letter off to Obama, reminding him what US policy is and who sets it before the UN vote. Just when I think I can’t become more disgusted.

I tried watching Meet the Press once when Maddow was on and Gregory went out of his way to interrupt her, he allowed other panel members to interrupt her and so forth but it was when he told Greenwald how the “game is played” that turned me completely off from that guy. It’s totally unsurprising that he doesn’t believe he did anything wrong during the run up to the Iraq war. He’s admitted that his goal is access, not journalism.

Dems will cave. Clock is ticking. In the interests of “bipartisanship” and “looking forward”

I’d be a lot more confident if success or failure didn’t hinge on the chance of the right bullying or bribing a single Democrat to give it up and go back to the capitol.

Liz Cheney again….who cares? G’Morning….

I’m not optimistic either. But, then again, I’m a pessimist by nature.

Can’t help but notice that this oh so liberal media, doesn’t have a union rep on to explain their side. Not. One.

I’m not pessimistic by nature but I try to call them as I see them.

Because even the most incompetent, uninformed union rep would blow their narrative entirely out of the water.

Anyone mentioning that Walker created the shortfall?

True. One would think real journalists and newsmedia would want to at least pretend to hear both sides. Even when Raygun was attacking unions, the MSM had on union reps. Yet people still watch this trash. Sad.

You won’t hear a peep about that. Same as in Washington and the new deficit hawks there. Not a peep about the billions wasted on Fraud Street (TM), the banks, or two failed military aggressions. It’s the public service workers and grandma that is driving up the debt!

I beg to differ. They’re smart like a dead tree stump, not like an actual living organism, however primitive.

Norquist said that the way to stop spending on social programs is to drive up the debt. That’s their playbook and they’re winning.

Yep. Hence the quotes.

Roundtable: Bill Kristol, Mara Liasson, Liz Cheney, Juan Williams

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

Jennifer Granholm, Harold Ford, Ed Gillespie, Rick Santelli.

Oh goody! Too bad I have more pressing matters to attend to…like refolding all the tissues in the Kleenex box. Priorities. You know how it is…

Good one…

Yeah, I’m having to contemplate the origins of naval lint so I’ll have to miss all of it. Darn the luck.

I’m going to take a wild-ass guess that Rude will not be included on any of the “roundtables” this morning…

You may be right….;)

If it’s Sunday it’s time for the public’s weekly dose of indoctrination and propaganda disguised as “thoughtful” insight and analysis by the Beltway Brahmans and their lackey’s and shills in the corporate media. What a charade!

ssshhhh! don’t tell the teabaggers

Donna Bazille tanked, IMO.

My sentiments exactly. You’d think the US would have extracted some kind of a price for saving Israel’s bacon once again, especially since the vote has extremely negative public relations cost throughout the world, and not just the Arab one.

If so, I haven’t heard.