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Polar bear with carrot

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Strangeworld

The world is getting stranger by the day. In Wisconsin, a resolution passed by the state Senate today orders the Sergeant at Arms, if the Dems don't show up by 4 p.m., to "take any and all necessary steps, with or without force, and with or without the assistance of law enforcement officers, by warrant or other legal process, as he may deem necessary in order to bring that senator to the Senate chambers so that the Senate may convene with a quorum of no less than 20 senators."

By force? Really? Last week, Gov. Walker admitted that the police he was sending to bring the gang of 14 back had no real power to do so. He was hoping to pressure them. Interesting now that they seem to think that the use of force against elected officials is now legal. What are they going to do, bullwhip them and throw them in irons?

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The GOP came to power this cycle on the wings of a lot of anger, both their own and their constituents. Now they are elected and they are still angry. So angry that they are picking fights all over the country, from Scott in Florida to LePage in Maine, to Kasich and Walker. The partisan antics of Darryl Issa. They do not seem to have a handle on working with others, preferring to govern by ultimatum and fiat. This over reaching is destined to give them a quick trip out the door. Because they can't play nice. Now Walker says that if he doesn't have a quorum tomorrow, he is going to lay off 1500 teachers. A very pissy way to do business.

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A link to a video of Wisconsin State Representative Nick Milroy being tackled by police for the crime of trying to get clothes out of his office. Your kinder, gentler Republican party.

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In South Dakota the governor is on the verge of signing a new law that would force women that are seeking an abortion to wait 72 hours, get a sonogram and have all of their fetus's parts described to them in the most graphic detail and then go to a Pregnancy Resource Center, which tend to be totally anti abortion, for counseling. I guess I could see going to a neutral person, in the farthest stretch of my imagination, but a Christian pro life group, give me a break. Pregnancy and abortion is a decision that should be between a woman and her doctor, period. Talk about a nanny state, now the so called libertarians are trying to micromanage the womb.

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Read somewhere recently and I can't for the life of me find the link, that one of the prairie states was considering a law that divorces would not be granted unless both parties agreed, a practice only practiced globally in some fundamentalist Islamic and jewish orthodox societies.  There is a woman in Israel going through absolute hell right now because she can not get a get from her husband. Another sick patriarchal attempt to oppress women. I believe that South Dakota has a bill pending that a couple must wait a year for a divorce proceeding if there are children involved. What if there is domestic abuse involved? Going to force people to stay with abusive spouses, as well?

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So much for limited government.

5 comments:

grumpy said...

Jim was so right, strange days have found us...

Blue Heron said...

I thought that they were calling...

Bloodthirsty Liberal said...

You won't be surprised that I disagree, Robert, but I do appreciate the opportunity to comment.

The Wisconsin Senate either does or does not have the power to arrest the Democratic Fleebaggers: a judge will have to rule. But no one's going anywhere in leg irons. It seems to me that any legal effort to bring the Democrats back to do the job they swore some kind of oath to do is reasonable and in this case necessary. Of course, I suppose the Republicans could just "deem" the bill passed, a tactic Democrats considered in the national House.

Similarly, Rep. Milroy wasn't tackled by police by order of Republicans, but by order of a judge who said the Capital could and should shut down at night. Should he have been allowed in, chaperoned? Maybe, but I'm neither a policeman nor a lawyer, so what do I know.

If Walker lays off 1500 teachers, it won't be because he's "pissy", but because he's serious about getting the budget in order. He offered to do it one way, but, thanks to the AWOL Dems, will have to settle for doing it another. And everyone loses.

Republicans were not elected to satisfy some inchoate anger, as you suggest, or not just. They were elected to restore some sort of fiscal sanity to the state and national ledgers. If people are angry, and they are, it is because they see their country for sale in the window of a Chinese pawn shop.

As for the other stories you hang on this Christmas tree of a post, I'm glad you bring them to our attention. Conservatives need to answer any abuses of fundamental principles of free speech and personal liberty. On the issue of abortion, however, anything that makes it safe, legal, and rare--much, much rarer than it is now--is okay in my book. Planned Parenthood is nothing less than pep squad for abortion, and as such is undeserving of the federal money it gets. A little news from the pro-life side wouldn't hurt anyone, least of all the unborn child.

I'm Satan, and I approved this message.

Anonymous said...

Time to pack a backpack and find a cave. Not the country i wanted to live in. Like my dads "this is my house and you must obey my (bullshit) rules." Ready to turn in my bellybutton and hide out till the flames are out.
Deli man

Blue Heron said...

Nice of you to chime in, Deli man. I think that the recent polls show that neither Wisconsinites or Americans in general think that Walker's "new Sheriff in town, my way or the highway" shtick is good form. We Americans are a funny bunch, we don't like anything shoved down our throats, unless conceivably it is a nice mortadella, coppacola submarine sandwich furnished by a certain esteemed purveyor.

Yes BTL, Republicans were elected to do a job and maybe even to restore fiscal sanity. What they have actually done is further polarize the political landscape with their "no negotiation" stances and union busting stances.

Most sane people agree that entitlements and pensions are out of control, they certainly have had horrible effects in nearby San Diego and in places like Vallejo. But I don't think that demonizing public servants is the answer, I think negotiating is. You know what negotiation is, don't you? It involves both sides willing to give a little and not imperial little charades like the one being played out in Wisconsin.

If I am in need of an abortion, I think that the last thing I want to hear is "some news from the other side." Good thing I'm not physiologically capable of bearing a child, because I think I might react real negatively to sanctimonious preaching. The woman I know who have had the abortion procedure were fully aware of their incapability of raising a child at that moment of their life.

I knew that the last GOP platform preaching a return to economic sanity was merely a smokescreen for more pressure to come from the bible thumping, gay hating moralizers.

But as Pete Townshend once aptly said, "We won't get fooled again."