Yesterday, in news eclipsed by the ongoing furor about the killing of Osama bin Laden, voters went to the polls in Ohio. On the ballot were primary elections for mayors and city councilmen, and a whole bevy of proposed tax levies, both new and renewed.

While the majority of school levy increases went down to defeat, at least in northeast Ohio, every single increase for police, fire, road building and libraries passed.

Cops and firefighters have traditionally been up-for-grabs or even lean Republican constituencies in America over the past 30 years or so. Bill Clinton gained a lot of goodwill with the COPS program, but Republicans have held their own. But a series of GOP-led anti-union bills in the states, some of which affect public safety personnel in particular, have soured them toward Republicans in a way that could have lasting effects.

On the heels of massive public demonstrations in Wisconsin and Ohio after Republican governors over-played their hands in seeking to destroy collective bargaining for public employees and make punitive cuts to education, Florida may be next in line. Tuesday, March 8 has been designated the day to “Awake The State“, with over thirty demonstrations planned across the state, spanning from Key West to Pensacola. There will even be multiple demonstrations in Tallahassee and Miami.

If the election between Walker and Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett were held today, Barrett would win 52-45, mainly because Walker is losing Republican union voters

The overhaul of collective bargaining in Ohio, much like Wisconsin, could put federal transportation money in jeopardy, costing the state much of its $171 million annual haul. So this hardly has anything to do with the budget. Instead, it’s part of a pattern of new right-wing governors taking advantage of their opportunities to force through ideological policy they have long sought.

When Cal Ripken, Jr. was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, he told the crowds that he was just doing his job, the way so many other ordinary folks do, like teachers, police officers, mothers, fathers, business owners, and others. He said “You all may not receive the accolades that I have throughout my career, so I’d like to take the time out to salute all of you for showing up, working hard and making the world a better place.”

Sounds like what’s happening in Madison to me.

Republicans united in the Senate to block a $3.2 trillion dollar tax cut today, stopping consideration of an extension of tax rates for every worker in America on the first $250,000 of income. The final vote on the motion to proceed was 53-36. All Republicans, at least the ones who showed up, voted against the tax cut. So did Russ Feingold, Jim Webb and Joe Manchin, Joe Lieberman, and maybe more (will get a roll call when it’s up). I’m guessing Feingold just wants all the tax rates to expire; that would fit with his posture as a deficit hawk.

Bryan Fischer, the director of Issue Analysis and Public Policy at the American Family Association, proudly smites Gene Cranick (the man whose house burned down while firefighters stood by watching, because he had not paid $75 for fire protection), and then is astonished that even conservatives would challenge his twisted religious justifications. Maybe Fischer ought to read some more of his Bible, because right now, he sounds less like Jesus and more like the Pharisees with whom Jesus often clashed. Them, and Ayn Rand.