Saturday, January 30, 2016
Donald Trump holds the Bible his mother gave him as a kid for the second time in his life
The showman knows no shame
This is nothing more than Trump trolling for the votes of evangelical Christians in the Iowa caucuses.
His Bible may look old, but it certainly doesn't look well-thumbed.
Feel older now: 50 years ago, "I Fought the Law" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100
"I Fought the Law" is a faithful remake of a song written by Sonny Curtis, one of the Crickets before and after Buddy Holly's untimely death. It originally appeared on the Crickets' 1960 album, In Style with the Crickets. The Bobby Fuller Four's follow-up single, "Love's Made a Fool of You", is from the same album. This song was written by Buddy Holly in 1954 but never released in any version until after he died. Top 10 lightning did not strike twice. The Bobby Fuller Four's version lost steam at #26 and spent just 6 weeks on the Hot 100.
Bobby Fuller died in July 1966 under mysterious circumstances.
Just 2 weeks in the top 10.
For the amount of airplay it continues to get on oldies radio, you might have thought it had spent at least a few weeks at #1.
Richard Tourtellout and "Granny" Coe
Photo from 1966 Dragon yearbook.
These Boots are Made for Walkin' by Nancy Sinatra. (1/22/2016)
Elusive Butterfly by Bob Lind. (1/23/2016)
Donald Trump as security blanket
Photo credit: Facebook
As quoted in Iowa Voters In Correctionville Think The U.S. Needs Correcting. (NPR, 1/29/2016)
Her mom, Rachel Raak Law, went with a Trump button. She's a single mom who's been volunteering for the campaign. And she tells Addison and her younger brother and sister that a President Trump would keep them safe.
Source: Wikipedia
The population is 97.2% white.
Overall, Woodbury County, of which Sioux City is the county seat, has been decidedly purple of late when voting for President.
Trump continues to rule the gamecock roost in South Carolina
Source: Real Clear Politics
- 2% - Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee
- 1% - John Kasich, Rand Paul, Carly Fiorina
- 0% - Rick Santorum
Other stuff:
Jeb Bush New Hampshire poll numbers: What goes up must come down. (1/28/2016)
2 most recent Iowa caucus polls maintain candidates' separate trendlines. (1/28/2016)
Cruz quickly closes the gap in North Carolina; Carson rides the slide. (1/22/2016)
Trump more than doubles Rubio and Bush combined numbers in latest Florida Republican Presidential primary poll. (1/20/2016)
FOX 5 Atlanta polls 97% white folks in latest Georgia Republican Presidential primary poll. (1/18/2016)
Jeb Bush finds some love in South Carolina, jumps from 5th to 3rd in latest poll. (1/17/2016)
Trump gets a little breathing room in latest Iowa poll; Rubio's stock flags. (1/14/2016)
Ted Cruz leaps ahead of Donald Trump in latest California poll. (1/6/2016)
Trump on top in Nevada. (1/2/2016)
Chris Christie no favorite son in New Jersey; Donald Trump rules for now. (11/18/2015)
Carson continues ascent in Virginia, Bush going the way of Scott Walker; Rubio bobs. (11/18/2015)
Trump, Cruz on upswing; Carson, Bush on downslide in latest Texas Republican primary poll. (11/12/2015)
As the polls churn in Arizona: Trump and Fiorina = big losers; Carson and Rubio = big winners. (11/11/2015)
Scott Walker quickly flames out in Michigan. (9/17/2015)
Presidential candidates enjoy visiting small city in Iowa that is 96.6% white
Why presidential candidates are in love with this Iowa town. (Des Moines Register, 1/29/2016)
Brian Downes says it’s John Wayne. This is his birthplace. The handsome new John Wayne Birthplace & Museum has been host to four visits by candidates. Last week, New York businessman Donald Trump stood by the wax likeness of the Duke while shaking hands.
Politicians, particularly Republicans who have held events here, can identify with Wayne’s patriotism, independence and itch to speak his mind,
It's also located in the county where The Bridges of Madison County is set.
Rick Santorum leads the way with 5 visits.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Oklahoma state representative Sally Kern: The wackiest ship in the political army
Photo credit: Oklahoma State Legislature
As reported in These new anti-gay bills from Oklahoma are the epitome of religious bigotry. (Dead State, 1/29/2016)
Following the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage, outrageous anti-LGBTQ legislation in state governments are becoming the new norm in American politics. However, Oklahoma’s latest bills aimed at discriminating gays and lesbians has taken the preverbal cake in cruelty and inhumanity.
HB3044
Opening today: The gosh/golly double-bill
"Oh, by gosh, by golly", you would have thought so, too!
As shared in movie review by Stephen Holden. ‘The Finest Hours’ Stars Chris Pine, Leading a Mission Against All Odds. (The New York Times, 1/28/2016)
Holden's 'bottom line'. While watching “The Finest Hours,” I thought of a less stuffy alternate title, “Ride the Wild Surf.” That, of course, is already taken.
That drive-in classic from 1964. (Release date: 8/5/1964)
With the stars.....
Fabian......
Shelley Fabares......
Tab Hunter......
and Barbara Eden.
Title song sung by Jan & Dean.
Sure you do, George; that's why it sometimes takes months to fill open records requests
Photo credit: State of Wisconsin
As reported in Madison advocacy group files complaint over DNR's handling of open records requests. (Madison.com, 1/27/2016)
Madison-based Midwest Environmental Advocates, a public interest law firm, filed a complaint this week in Dane County Circuit Court against the Department of Natural Resources alleging the state agency is violating the state’s Public Records Law by taking months — 10 months in one case — to respond to three requests for information related to a group of wetlands permits, concentrated animal feeding operations and air testing data.
Related posts:
With a 19-14 Republican majority in the State Senate, 63-36 in Assembly, this Democratic-sponsored bill is DOA. (1/28/2016)
Meet the members of the Wisconsin Public Records Board. (11/11/2015)
Dear Beth, Journalists have a sacred oath to respond to this betrayal of the public trust by Scott Walker. (12/11/2015)
Danger, Will Robinson! Scott Walker talks about openness, access, and transparency. (12/8/2015)
Open records and Scott Walker's concerns with constituents' privacy. (7/5/2015)
Scott Walker does David Bowie. (7/4/2015)
Open records and Scott Walker's irresolute response. (7/4/2015)
When it comes to transparency, ALEC wants to have it both ways. (7/4/2015)
You have to wonder what dictionary Joint Finance co-chair John Nygren is working from. (7/3/2015)
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos's definition of transparency: All the self-serving Republican news releases I see fit to print
Good question, Albert Darling. So why the lack of transparency in Wisconsin? (7/3/2015)
Chris Christie sez "evolve"; the rest of us say "flip flop"
As reported in The Latest: Christie says he owns up to evolving positions. (Boston Herald, 1/29/2016)
Related reading:
Gov. Chris Christie’s Most Outrageous Flip-Flops. (Center for American Progress Action Fund, 6/30/2015)
- Pathway to citizenship
- Reproductive rights
- Common Core
- Gun violence protections
- Climate change
Once Trump inches above the 40% level, his poll numbers start to recede
As they are doing now.
Is Trump still riding the seesaw, or have we entered a new stage of the campaign?
In the meantime, Rand Paul sez, "I'm not goin' away."
Source: Real Clear Politics
- 2% - John Kasich, Carly Fiorina
- 1% - Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum
Other stuff: President Obama’s job approval rating climbed to 49% from 43% in early January. (Apparently, he's looking much better in comparison to the current crop of candidates.)
Recent related posts:On the other hand, Trump continues to fly high in national Republican Presidential primary polls. (1/26/2016)
No intersecting lines yet among top 4 candidates in January national Republican Presidential primary polls. (1/23/2016)
Latest Monmouth Republican Presidential primary poll gives Trump a 19-point lead over Cruz. (1/20/2016)
Recent Republican polls show candidates still drifting along. (1/15/2016)
When you get right down to it, nothing has changed in Republican national polls in last month. (1/12/2016)
Nationally, none of the top 4 Republican Presidential candidates is peaking at this time. (1/11/2016)
Latest FOX News poll has subgroup margins of error that would embarrass the 1962 New York Mets. (1/8/2016)
A spine-chilling moment: Inside the mind of Bob Vander Plaats
Photo credit: The Family Leader
As opined in Think Bigger Than 2016. (Des Moines Register, 1/28/2016)
Vander Plaats exhorts his followers to vote for Ted Cruz in the Iowa caucuses.
Related post:
The company he keeps: Ted Cruz honored to earn endorsement of religious bigot. (12/10/2015)
Scott Walker and the Koch Brothers: Mission Accomplished!
In truth, these guys won't be fully satisfied until union membership is down to 0.
Related information:
Union Members Summary. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1/26/2016)
- 2014 in Wisconsin
- 306,000 union members
- 11.7% of workforce
- 2015 in Wisconsin
- 223,000 union members
- 8.3% of workforce
ALEC model policies
ALEC goes to Wisconsin:GOP State Sen. Frank Lasee's ALEC bill promotes private water companies' workforce issues. (1/27/2016)
While Scott Walker blathers about his jobs focus, Wisconsin Republicans continue to push an ALEC agenda. (1/25/2016)
The big, the bold Scott Walker promises more ALEC model policy plagiarism for Wisconsin. (11/7/2015)(
Time for another Republican hypocrisy alert! (10/23/2015)
Get me rewrite: Wisconsin lawmakers eye ALEC model legislation to end state's prevailing wage laws. (4/5/2015)
Why do Republicans call it 'worker freedom'? Because the Koch Brothers say so. (3/7/2015)
Scott Walker: Putting the power of government into the hands of the Koch Brothers. (2/23/2015)
Since 2008 Scott Walker pledges his allegiance to the Koch Brothers. (2/21/2015)
Why drug tests for recipients of public aid in Wisconsin? Because the Koch Brothers say so. (2/10/2015)
Rep. Lee Nerison (R-Westby) Does ALEC's "Ag-Gag" Bidding. (2/9/2015)
Van Wanggaard toes the ALEC line. (2/7/2015)
Meet Scott Walker's "ideas" men. (1/29/2015)
The Koch Brothers bring you "The Big and the Bold". (1/24/2015)
Chris Kapenga, ALEC waterboy, is at it again. (12/11/2014)
UPDATED: They pledge allegiance to the Koch Brothers. (11/19/2014)
Of course, Kapenga hasn't drafted a bill; it's already been done for him. (12/4/2014)
Here's an example of what happens when people don't pay attention. (10/8/2014)
Speaking of plagiarism: The Kapenga Chronicles (9/27/2014)
ALEC tools Leah Vukmir and Alberta Darling go off the deep end. (9/22/2014)
Speaking of plagiarism. (9/20/2014)
Just what the Wisconsin legislature needs: Another ALEC disciple. (8/7/2014)
Meet Chris Kapenga, R-Waterboy, representing the grate state of ALEC. (2/18/2014)
Sen. Paul Farrow throws a hissy fit (which is transcribed in this news release). (2/7/2014)
Robin Vos believes in selective transparency of the kind advanced by the American Legislative Exchange Council. (12/24/2013)
Background on the National Conference of State Legislatures for Leah. (12/12/2013)
From ALEC to Andre to us: Rep. Jacque (R-DePere) whittles model bill down to the basics. (9/1/2013)
NRA/ALEC "Docs and Glocks" law finally makes its way to Wisconsin. (6/18/2013)
Robin Vos, "an ALEC Wisconsin Foot Soldier" (SourceWatch). (6/13/2013)
ALEC'd to Death: Wisconsin Republicans Continues to Depend on the Koch Brothers' Playbook. (6/7/2013)
ALEC's State Budget Reform Toolkit: "Asset Sale and Lease Opportunities". (6/6/2013)
Selling State Properties? It's in the ALEC Playbook. (5/22/2013)
More cookie-cutter legislation from ALEC. (4/7/2013)
What the Koch Brothers left under Scott Walker's 2010 Christmas tree. (6/19/2012)
A bipartisan group of Wisconsin state legislators can't focus on workforce, worker training, and career development issues
The bill creates a sales-tax holiday on back-to-school purchases.
- Item of clothing priced at $75 or less. (No clothing accessories; list provided.)
- Computer for personal use. ($2,000 limit.)
- School computer supplies. (No single item may cost more than $250.)
- School instructional materials. (No single item may cost more than $300.)
It would take place on the first weekend of August (Saturday and Sunday).
Estimated lost revenue:
- $13,200,000 for the state
- $ 952,000 for local governments
To make this proposal palatable, legislators should take a look at the current list of Wisconsin sales tax exemptions and find ways, at a minimum, to make up for the lost revenue of SB627.
Get to work, folks. We're not paying you for this tax holiday nonsense.
Related post:
Workforce, worker training, and career development issues: The empty rhetoric of Scott Walker. (1/27/201 6)
Presidential candidate with emotional development of 12 year old should go ahead and put it in the want ads
As quoted in Trump at vet rally: 'You have to stick up for your rights'. (Orange County Register, 1/28/2016)
Thursday, January 28, 2016
You don't need me to tell you that Wisconsin is among the leaders in cuts to higher education
A big sore point in the Midwest.
Source: Inside Higher Education (1/25/2016)
Our Governor is Chock Full O' BS.
And it shows.
Related posts:
Workforce, worker training, and career development issues: The empty rhetoric of Scott Walker. (1/27/2016)
Apparently, Scott Walker thinks no one is paying attention. (1/23/2016)
Scott Walker on education; children are our future. (1/9/2016)
Languishing in the polls, Huckabee and Santorum make desperate appearance at Trump sideshow
I sense a surreal update of "A Face in the Crowd" in development, with Trump's Presidential campaign as the centerpiece, but the majority of the media is too beholden to Trump's power to draw eyeballs and advertising revenue to notice.
Trump posts photoshopped image of Megyn Kelly on his Twitter feed
The Kelly Beguiles: A Saudi prince doesn't really "co-own" Fox News, and Fox political commentator Megyn Kelly didn't pose with him. (Snopes, 8/12/2015)
I think Trump has lost this battle. He's got it bad.
Related post:
Picture this: A President of the United States with the emotional development of a 12 year old.
(1/11/2016)
Jeb Bush New Hampshire poll numbers: What goes up must come down
Note the cluster above 1/25-27.
Source: Real Clear Politics
The behinders in the 1/25-27 Suffolk University poll:
- 6% - Chris Christie
- 5% - Ben Carson
- 4% - Carly Fiorina
- 2% - Rand Paul
- 0% - Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum
Other stuff:
- Age of respondents
- 23% are 34 and younger
- 35% are 55 and older
- "Ethnic background/ancestry"
- 90.4% white
- 3% - refused
That Jeb Bush glow is already yesterday's news.
Hampton, we have an outlier; Bush at 18% in latest New Hampshire Republican primary poll. (1/27/2016)
Donald Trump remains untouchable in New Hampshire. (1/25/2016)
New Hampshire and the "lamentations of the 68 Percent". (1/24/2016)
Little engine malfunction? Kasich drops 14 points in a single day in New Hampshire Republican Presidential primary polls. (1/21/2016)
Kasich surges, Cruz stumbles, Carson approaches Santorum territory in latest New Hampshire poll. (1/19/2016)
Have you polled New Hampshire voters yet this year? Everyone else has, it seems. (1/11/2016)
The fast and the furious: 4 New Hampshire polls released in 2 days. (1/10/2016)
Trump remains above it all in New Hampshire. (1/10/2016)
New Hampshire feels the earth move as Christie takes a tumble in latest statewide poll. (1/9/2016)
Trump gets a bump in 1st New Hampshire poll of 2016. (1/7/2016)
2 most recent Iowa caucus polls maintain candidates' separate trendlines
Source: Real Clear Politcs
The behinders in the 1/24-26 NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll:
- 4% - Jeb Bush
- 2% - Rand Paul, Chris Christie, John Kasich, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee
- 0% - Rick Santorum
The behinders in the 1/26-27 Public Policy Polling poll:
- 4% - Jeb Bush, Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee
- 3% - Carly Fiorina
- 2% - Chris Christie, John Kasich
- 1% - Rick Santorum
Other stuff:
- The unfavorables
- 51% - Chris Christie
- 48% - Jeb Bush
- 46% - Rand Paul
- 45% - John Kasich
- 44% - Donald Trump
Recent Iowa caucus posts:
Rubio, Carson gain, Trump, Cruz lose ground in latest Iowa caucuses poll. (1/27/2016)
Trump losing momentum, Cruz gaining going into final week before Iowa caucuses. (1/26/2016)
Still Trump in 1st and Cruz 2nd in 2 latest Iowa GOP Presidential caucus polls. (1/24/2016)
Iowa Republican Presidential caucus poll of the hour has Trump solidly in 1st place. (1/21/2016)
Cruz edges his way into 1st in latest Iowa caucus poll. (1/21/2016 )
Trump gets a little breathing room in latest Iowa poll; Rubio's stock flags. (1/14/2016)
Trump and Cruz head for a showdown in Iowa. (1/12/2016)
Pushing aside Cruz, Trump elbows his way into 1st in two most recent Iowa caucus polls. (1/11/2016)
Cruz/Trump remain one/two in 2nd Iowa caucus poll of year. (1/10/2016)
It's turned into an Archie Bell & the Drells moment. (1/9/2016)
By invitation only listening sessions aren't helping Scott Walker's approval levels
Scott Walker's approval rating in Wisconsin remains below 40 percent. (Capital Times, 1/28/2016)
The reason that both his approval and disapproval levels dipped is that the number of poll respondents who answered "don't know" to the question
Overall, do you approve or disapprove of the way Scott Walker is handling his job as Governor of Wisconsin?
increased from 3.2% in November 2015 to 5.2% in January 2016.
Related post:
By invitation only: A disconnected Scott Walker plans to reconnect with Wisconsin voters. (1/25/2016)
Meet the GOP winners of the 2008 and 2012 Iowa caucuses
What happens when upwards of 60% of Republican caucus voters self-identify as born-again evangelical Christians.
PowerPoint slides created in reaction to Iowans' caucuses have favored three eventual Presidents since '72. (Iowa Politics Now, 1/27/2016)
That's debatable! As a picker and predictor of presidents, Iowa has historically not been that good, but it's gotten better of late.
The fact of the matter is that net sales of hardback and paperback books have held relatively steady for the past 5 years
AAP report: book sales down 2% in first 9 months of 2015; eBook sales down 11%. (Talking New Media, 1/27/2016)
The articles stresses that the American Association of Publishers does not report on sales of all ebooks. Its focus is generally on larger, established, American publishers as opposed to small presses and self-published materials.
This caveat, of course, will not stop the ongoing brouhaha over the actual sales of ebooks.
It is, perhaps, instructive to note the AAP reports that sales of children's/YA ebooks for January-September 2015 are down 44.8% from the comparable period in 2014. Paperbacks, on the other hand, are up 13.3%.
Bottom line: People are still reading print in mass quantities.
Related posts:
Print continues to hold its own. (1/21/2015)
Is this the future of e-books? (8/27/2014)
Who's reading ebooks (by household income). (7/20/2014)
Ebook digital subscription services: Is it a bjargain? (7/20/2014)
Which is what you would have predicted after reading "In So Many Words" in March 1997. (5/28/2014)
Amazon delivers the "Lesley Gore" ultimatum. (4/25/2014)
The boom is over for ebooks. (4/2/2014)
Ebooks and the hype of emerging technology: Have we finally reached the slope of enlightenment? (3/11/2014)
Pew Research report on e-reading. (1/16/2014)
Book sales update as of October 2013. (1/10/2014)
The 24-hour news recycle: Mein Kampf edition. (1/7/2014)
The demonstrative, preening Donald Trump hosts a self-aggrandizing event at Drake University in lieu of debate appearance
Trump hosting debate alternative at Drake. (Des Moines Register, 1/27/2016)
Meanwhile, Ted Cruz will have some new campaign gear for sale at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.
With a 19-14 Republican majority in the State Senate, 63-36 in Assembly, this Democratic-sponsored bill is DOA
Bill would create financial penalties for destroying public records. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/28/2016)
Uncertain??!! The proposal says that anyone who destroys a record during the time period it's required to be retained could pay a penalty of up to $1,000. The bill, proposed by Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) and Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D-Alma), faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled Legislature.
Related posts:
Meet the members of the Wisconsin Public Records Board. (11/11/2015)
Dear Beth, Journalists have a sacred oath to respond to this betrayal of the public trust by Scott Walker. (12/11/2015)
Danger, Will Robinson! Scott Walker talks about openness, access, and transparency. (12/8/2015)
Open records and Scott Walker's concerns with constituents' privacy. (7/5/2015)
Scott Walker does David Bowie. (7/4/2015)
Open records and Scott Walker's irresolute response. (7/4/2015)
When it comes to transparency, ALEC wants to have it both ways. (7/4/2015)
You have to wonder what dictionary Joint Finance co-chair John Nygren is working from. (7/3/2015)
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos's definition of transparency: All the self-serving Republican news releases I see fit to print
Good question, Albert Darling. So why the lack of transparency in Wisconsin? (7/3/2015)
The new Hippocratic oath: First, do no harm to wallet
Photo credit: The John A. Hartford Foundation
As quoted in Population Ages, Where Are the Geriatricians? (The New York Times, 1/26/2016)
Geriatrics is one of the few medical specialties in the United States that is contracting even as the need increases, ranking at the bottom of the list of specialties that internal medicine residents choose to pursue.
Annual compensation for geriatric doctors is in the same range family medicine and pediatrics.
Source: Medscape
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Pay it no mind this year: 5.4% of eligible voters participated in the Iowa caucuses in 2012
The Iowa Caucus' Real Results: Hardly Anybody Voted, And Nobody Won Anything. (HuffPolitics. 1/4/2012)
And the winner was......Rick Santorum, whose at it again. His current Iowa polling average is 1%.
Rick's favorite song?
Apparently, Kellyanne Conway was born yesterday
As quoted in Ted Cruz and Allies Work to Halt Donald Trump’s Gains. (The New York Times, 1/26/2016)
Here's how Cruz earned his 'courtly' cred. (It's old news.)
(not an April fool)
Hampton, we have an outlier; Bush at 18% in latest New Hampshire Republican primary poll
Emerson earned a C+ from the FiveThirtyEight's pollster ratings in 2014.
Source: Real Clear Politics
The behinders in the 1/25-26 Emerson College Polling Society poll:
- 3% - Carly Fiorina, Rand Paul, Ben Carson
- 1% - Mike Huckabee
- 0% - Rick Santorum
Related reading:
No, Jeb Bush Probably Isn't in Second Place in New Hampshire. (Huffpost Politics, 1/27/2016)
Donald Trump remains untouchable in New Hampshire. (1/25/2016)
New Hampshire and the "lamentations of the 68 Percent". (1/24/2016)
Little engine malfunction? Kasich drops 14 points in a single day in New Hampshire Republican Presidential primary polls. (1/21/2016)
Kasich surges, Cruz stumbles, Carson approaches Santorum territory in latest New Hampshire poll. (1/19/2016)
Have you polled New Hampshire voters yet this year? Everyone else has, it seems. (1/11/2016)
The fast and the furious: 4 New Hampshire polls released in 2 days. (1/10/2016)
Trump remains above it all in New Hampshire. (1/10/2016)
New Hampshire feels the earth move as Christie takes a tumble in latest statewide poll. (1/9/2016)
Trump gets a bump in 1st New Hampshire poll of 2016. (1/7/2016)
Rubio, Carson gain, Trump, Cruz lose ground in latest Iowa caucuses poll
Source: Real Clear Politics
- 4% - Jeb Bush
- 3% - Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee, John Kasich
- 2% - Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina
- 1% - Rick Santorum
Other stuff:
- Poll respondents as 'enthusiastic' for candidate as Republican nominee:
- 29% - Donald Trump
- 23% - Ted Cruz
- 18% - Marco Rubio
- 8% - Jeb Bush
The caucuses are held on Monday, February 1.
Recent Iowa caucus posts: Trump losing momentum, Cruz gaining going into final week before Iowa caucuses. (1/26/2016)
Still Trump in 1st and Cruz 2nd in 2 latest Iowa GOP Presidential caucus polls. (1/24/2016)
Iowa Republican Presidential caucus poll of the hour has Trump solidly in 1st place. (1/21/2016)
Cruz edges his way into 1st in latest Iowa caucus poll. (1/21/2016 )
Trump gets a little breathing room in latest Iowa poll; Rubio's stock flags. (1/14/2016)
Trump and Cruz head for a showdown in Iowa. (1/12/2016)
Pushing aside Cruz, Trump elbows his way into 1st in two most recent Iowa caucus polls. (1/11/2016)
Cruz/Trump remain one/two in 2nd Iowa caucus poll of year. (1/10/2016)
It's turned into an Archie Bell & the Drells moment. (1/9/2016)
GOP State Sen. Frank Lasee's ALEC bill promotes private water companies' workforce issues
Cartoon conservative principles in action!
Bill to ease public water supplies into private hands sparks clash. (Madison.com, 1/27/2016)
Another assault on local control. Critics of a bill to make it easier for private companies from outside Wisconsin to buy public drinking water systems said it would hamstring citizen rights to block such sales and pose the threat of higher utility bills and lower water quality.
The proposal, scheduled for a vote in a state Senate committee Thursday, would make a public referendum on the sale of water and sewage disposal systems optional instead of mandatory as they are now. [emphasis added]
The following bill is brought to you by ALEC. (They call it the Water/Wastewater Utility Public-Private Partnership Act.)
ALEC goes to Wisconsin:
While Scott Walker blathers about his jobs focus, Wisconsin Republicans continue to push an ALEC agenda. (1/25/2016)
The big, the bold Scott Walker promises more ALEC model policy plagiarism for Wisconsin. (11/7/2015)(
Time for another Republican hypocrisy alert! (10/23/2015)
Get me rewrite: Wisconsin lawmakers eye ALEC model legislation to end state's prevailing wage laws. (4/5/2015)
Why do Republicans call it 'worker freedom'? Because the Koch Brothers say so. (3/7/2015)
Scott Walker: Putting the power of government into the hands of the Koch Brothers. (2/23/2015)
Since 2008 Scott Walker pledges his allegiance to the Koch Brothers. (2/21/2015)
Why drug tests for recipients of public aid in Wisconsin? Because the Koch Brothers say so. (2/10/2015)
Rep. Lee Nerison (R-Westby) Does ALEC's "Ag-Gag" Bidding. (2/9/2015)
Van Wanggaard toes the ALEC line. (2/7/2015)
Meet Scott Walker's "ideas" men. (1/29/2015)
The Koch Brothers bring you "The Big and the Bold". (1/24/2015)
Chris Kapenga, ALEC waterboy, is at it again. (12/11/2014)
UPDATED: They pledge allegiance to the Koch Brothers. (11/19/2014)
Of course, Kapenga hasn't drafted a bill; it's already been done for him. (12/4/2014)
Here's an example of what happens when people don't pay attention. (10/8/2014)
Speaking of plagiarism: The Kapenga Chronicles (9/27/2014)
ALEC tools Leah Vukmir and Alberta Darling go off the deep end. (9/22/2014)
Speaking of plagiarism. (9/20/2014)
Just what the Wisconsin legislature needs: Another ALEC disciple. (8/7/2014)
Meet Chris Kapenga, R-Waterboy, representing the grate state of ALEC. (2/18/2014)
Sen. Paul Farrow throws a hissy fit (which is transcribed in this news release). (2/7/2014)
Robin Vos believes in selective transparency of the kind advanced by the American Legislative Exchange Council. (12/24/2013)
Background on the National Conference of State Legislatures for Leah. (12/12/2013)
From ALEC to Andre to us: Rep. Jacque (R-DePere) whittles model bill down to the basics. (9/1/2013)
NRA/ALEC "Docs and Glocks" law finally makes its way to Wisconsin. (6/18/2013)
Robin Vos, "an ALEC Wisconsin Foot Soldier" (SourceWatch). (6/13/2013)
ALEC'd to Death: Wisconsin Republicans Continues to Depend on the Koch Brothers' Playbook. (6/7/2013)
ALEC's State Budget Reform Toolkit: "Asset Sale and Lease Opportunities". (6/6/2013)
Selling State Properties? It's in the ALEC Playbook. (5/22/2013)
More cookie-cutter legislation from ALEC. (4/7/2013)
What the Koch Brothers left under Scott Walker's 2010 Christmas tree. (6/19/2012)
Donald Trump: "And I approve these messages"
Or so anyone could be led to believe.
34 Donald Trump Supporters Tweeted the ‘C’ Word at Megyn Kelly Since Yesterday. (The Wrap, 1/27/2016)
Trump, of course, remains above it all.
Fist bump: From FOX News 'terrorist fist jab' to Bush's Baked Beans commercial mainstream
That was then. (June 6, 2008, to be exact)
The above registered at #41 on the list of The 43 Most Insane Fox News Moments Of All Time. (BuzzFeed, 6/25/2014)
This is now.
Workforce, worker training, and career development issues: The empty rhetoric of Scott Walker
Let's take a look at the record:
Wisconsin's December-to-December 2011 to 2015 job growth as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (graphed):
As reported in Wisconsin ranks 38th in private-sector job growth in 2015. (Madison.com, 1/27/2016)
Related posts:
Scott Walker's jobs focus: Twice bitten in Jefferson County. (11/22/2015)
Scott Walker silent on latest job growth numbers. (12/20/2014)
Yes, Governor Walker, we know. (7/3/2014)
For Scott Walker and his jobs promotion message, it's deja vu all over again. (3/20/2014)
I Suppose This isn't on Scott Walker's radar either: Wisconsin ranks 35th in private-sector job creation. (3/20/2014)
Wisconsin jobs deficit. (9/27/2013)
Putting Wisconsin's jobs creation picture in perspective. (9/27/2013)
The Walker way: Whatever. (9/24/2013)
The Blue and the Gold: Wisconsin's Jobs Deficit. (9/3/2013)
Scott Walker's mantra. (8/2/2013)
Less than zero. (6/17/2013)
Wisconsin ranks 49th in Federal Reserve Bank's "imperfect" index. (6/6/2013)
Wishful thinking at WEDC. (5/23/2013)
And what alternative universe do these employers inhabit? (5/21/2013)
Wisconsin added 19,000 jobs in 2012. (5/18/2013)
Scott Walker all a-tingle over yesterday's news. (5/18/2013)
From the looks of it, Wisconsin's jobs loss is in free fall. (5/18/2013)
Spin Cycle: The Walker Administration Diverts Our Attention from the Latest (Disturbing) Jobs Numbers. (5/17/2013)
Bringing up the rear in job growth. (3/8/2013)
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