Union Fight Could Reshape American Politics

Well, I hope so. This is getting ridiculous. Crush the bastards.



See Mark Barabak, "Republican Governors Are Going Up Against Organized Labor, Hitting at the Heart of the Democratic Party, Which Depends Heavily on Union Money and Manpower":

The labor fight blazing in Madison, Wis., and other state capitals is more than a feud over budgets or the rights of government employees. It is a battle that could fundamentally change the practice of politics in this country, with enormous consequences in 2012 and beyond.



By striking at organized labor, a pugnacious group of Republican governors is hitting at the heart of the Democratic Party, which banks heavily on union money and manpower. That explains the resistance from the White House, Democrats in Congress and, most fiercely, their liberal allies from New York to California.



"This is all about pure political power," said Paul Maslin, a party strategist whose office is just a block from Wisconsin's Capitol. "If they break the unions here, it will spread state by state, nationwide."



Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has proposed deep cuts in benefits for most state workers, saying the belt-tightening is necessary to help close a projected $3.6-billion deficit. Labor unions have agreed to cuts in retirement and healthcare plans; if givebacks were the only issue, the impasse would presumably have ended by now.



But Walker, a newly elected Republican, has gone further by seeking to strip state employees of most of their collective bargaining rights. He would also make it harder for unions to organize state workers and collect dues, moves that could diminish labor's clout and deplete its coffers, ultimately hurting Democrats who lean on that support.



Republican governors in Ohio and elsewhere are eyeing similar moves, in what amounts to the greatest threat to organized labor since President Reagan fired striking air traffic controllers in the early 1980s.

More at the link.



See also Charles Krauthammer, "Rubicon: A River in Wisconsin" (via Memeorandum):

Obama's Democrats have become the party of no. Real cuts to the federal budget? No. Entitlement reform? No. Tax reform? No. Breaking the corrupt and fiscally unsustainable symbiosis between public-sector unions and state governments? Hell, no.

Ouch!

Rule 5 Roundup — Two Door Cinema Club Edition

Okay, I've been out of the loop on Rule 5, so here goes, c/o Two Door Cinema Club:

First up is Bruce Kesler's "Jawohl Mein Professor." Bruce has been doing some outstanding blogging on the progressive destruction of the university, so read that in full.

And visit some friends of American Power: Astute Bloggers, Blazing Cat Fur, Bob Belvedere, CSPT, Dan Collins, Gator Doug, Irish Cicero, Left Coast Rebel, Mind-Numbed Robot, Lonely Conservative, PA Pundits International, Pirate's Cove, Proof Positive, Saberpoint, Snooper, WyBlog, The Western Experience, Yankee Phil, and Zion's Trumpet.



BONUS: American Perspective, Amusing Bunni's Musings, Eye of Polyphemus, and Maggie's Notebook.



And top that off with Theo's Saturday Night Bath Totty.

As always, drop your link in the comments to be added to the roundups.



More blogging this afternoon.

Big Labor and the Rabid Outbreak of Progressive Incivility and Violence

Michelle's got another excellent update on union thuggery, "Hate-a-rama: The vulgar, racist, sexist, homophobic rage of the Left."

My new syndicated column today does the reporting the Tea Party-bashing national media won’t do on the rabid outbreak of progressive incivility and violence at Big Labor protests across the country. On Saturday, the grievance convergence will descend on all 50 state capitols spearheaded by the smear merchants of MoveOn.org — who will stoke further hatred and class warfare against America’s taxpayers, job creators, and wealth producers:

On Saturday, February 26, at noon local time, we are organizing rallies in front of every statehouse and in every major city to stand in solidarity with the people of Wisconsin. We demand an end to the attacks on worker’s rights and public services across the country. We demand investment, to create decent jobs for the millions of people who desperately want to work. And we demand that the rich and powerful pay their fair share.

We are all Wisconsin. We are all Americans.

Yeah, except for all of us “Koch whores” and “garbage pail kids” and “bad Jews” who defend the American Dream against insatiable entitlement-mongers who claim a “right” to our money.

I second John Hinderaker: “No retreat, no surrender.”

On the Wisconsin front, the Assembly early this morning passed GOP Gov. Scott Walker’s budget/union repair bill. Troopers are still searching for the Fleebagger State Senators. One of them, Democratic state sen. Joe Erpenbach, who is in Chicago (natch), said all 14 senators remained outside of Wisconsin. “It’s not so much the Democrats holding things up,” Erpenbach he told the AP. “It’s really a matter of Gov. Walker holding things up.” Deflecting blame, delaying reform. Like I said the other day, there are no adults left in the Democrat Party. They’re stuck in their Huggies pull-ups crying all the way.

Video of the mob at the Madison capitol building after the Assembly vote this morning:

RTWT at the link.

RELATED: At Founding Bloggers, "A Warning to Tea Party Patriots Everywhere," and Midnight Blue, "Blogging While Female – Protest Safety Tips."