Tripoli, Wisconsin

Protests in the Middle East have spread as far as Madison, Wisconsin, as thousands  demonstrate at the capitol building against Governor Scott Walker’s (r-WI) budget plan.  Senate Democrats, meanwhile, have fled the state to prevent a final vote on the measure.

They’re protesting a budget?  Isn’t that a little extreme?  Where are we, Egypt?  (You might ask…)  Well, this is a budget of draconian cuts to “balance the budget”, of course, following Governor Walkers granting of huge tax breaks to businesses, which helped turn a budget surplus into a budget deficit.  Public sector unions agreed to huge benefits cuts to do their part to help balance the budget.  That’s great, says Governor Walker, I’m also going to take away your right to collective bargaining.  Because, you know, the ability of workers to negotiate fair terms of employment with their employers is what led to our budget crisis in the first place.

Ummm…what?

Even Fox News called him on this one…kind of.  (More accurately, ONE GUY dared speak the truth…we’ll see how long he lasts.)

So, this all has led to some pretty interesting news of late (outside of the pending collapse of Libya), and the biggest demonstrations in our country since the tea baggers hit the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building back in ’09.

Rumors that riot police would be used to clear the Wisconsin protesters recently surfaced.

“Use live ammunition,” tweeted Deputy Attorney General for Indiana, Jeffrey Cox, a republican (surprised?).

When questioned further, because…surely…he’s not suggesting police start shooting protesters, his response was “You’re damn right I advocate deadly force.”

Wow.

In a rare example of republicans feeling consequences of their actions, the good deputy was fired.

Stay tuned for the peaceful overthrow of the Walker regime.

 

UPDATE 1: Miss this? Clause allowing no-bid contracts discovered in Walker’s budget bill.  Because there’s no better way to save money than to accept whatever you are offered the first time.

UPDATE 2: Governor Walker PUNKD!  Believing he was speaking to his multi-billionaire, tea party overlord, David Koch of Koch Industries, Walker spilled the beans on his strategy to trick Democratic lawmakers into passing his bill during a 10-minute call with someone pretending to be David Koch.  Madison’s police chief called the governor’s remarks “troubling“, particularly remarks discussing the possibility of infiltrating the protests with “trouble makers”.