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You are here: Home / Politics / Glibertarianism / Rhymes with winning

Rhymes with winning

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Even middle-class-hating right-wing sociopaths Megan McArdle and Chuck Lane think progressives are winning the battle of Madison.

In the absence of a clearer reform message from Walker, gauzy rhetoric about the “right” to collective bargaining, “worker power” and the like has dominated, obscuring the sometimes grubby realities of public-sector unionism.

Well, I think we know the answer: the Democrats are winning the PR battle, and a large majority of Americans are against what Walker is doing. Probably the GOP wouldn’t do this again, if they had their druthers. But of course, it’s easier to not do something in the first place, than it is to back down once you’re all in . . .

I don’t know, winning, anyone? That would be us.

Reader Interactions

64Comments

  1. 1.

    McMegan Hater

    Wait. If McMegan says we are winning doesn’t that actually mean we are losing? Crap. I’m confused.

  2. 2.

    Uloborus

    Holy pony muffins. How big a fail does it require for this to not be Good News For John McCain in THEIR heads?

  4. 4.

    JPL

    Well..just f..k me running… Who would have thought that you could cut taxes for your corporate friends and then say the debt is caused by those greedy teachers. I’m shocked…
    So does Malkin have friends peering into janitors and teachers windows to see what type of counter tops they have?

  5. 5.

    aimai

    “Its easier not to do something the first time than to back down?” Really? What kind of moron lives like that? If you think its the right thing to do you do it and if the backlash is such that you learn something different then you should absolutely back down.

    That’s classic McMegan.

    aimai

  7. 7.

    David Fud

    Don’t underestimate our ability to pull defeat from the jaws of victory, though that may be overstating our position at the moment.

  8. 8.

    General Stuck

    Probably the GOP wouldn’t do this again, if they had their druthers. But of course, it’s easier to not do something in the first place, than it is to back down once you’re all in . . .

    no shit sherlock, it is the bane of our existence in this country. Republican fuckups and then their infernal “resolve” bullshit doubling down the clusterfuck. Go ask any Iraqi

  9. 9.

    Dave C

    You say we’re winning, and I hope you’re right. But isn’t “winning” on this issue mostly just a return to the status quo? As my favorite evil scientist said, “The status is not quo.” What progress do we really have any hope of making?

    ETA: sorry for the pessimism; it’s just one of those days.

  11. 11.

    Cat Lady

    Of course it’s all about gauzy rhetoric and PR to those soft handed mealy mouthed hacks. Days and days of concerted organized protests to preserve your way of life and the basic human right to organize have nothing to do with anything? I hate those assholes. Throw Bobo on that pile too, and light the fucking pyre. They’re sickening.

  13. 13.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    McMegan fatigue — I still haz it. But then, I’m in OH, where the Rs have a quorum, and very nearly a bill, save for selling the power plants to Kochtopus. Though it does really, really, really,as in “we mean it, this time, again” ban gay marriage. On the upside, when you’re an R (Kasich) and you get a finger wagged at you in a Cincinnati Enquirer editorial, things don’t look as rosy as they might.

    Walker’s got the limelight, but Kasich’s been busy fucking up Ohio since before he was inaugurated.

  14. 14.

    dmsilev

    @Dave C: Not quite status quo. Status quo in terms of the law, sure. But turning union voters from “a bare majority vote Democratic” to “Hates the guts of the GOP” will matter a great deal, particularly when you look at a map of which states the GOP would have to flip to defeat Obama next year.

    dms

  15. 15.

    Uloborus

    @Dave C:
    Well, on this *particular* issue, wresting union voters away from the Republicans in large numbers – possibly permanently – to stop them from pulling this crap again. Also getting the already-Democrats fired up and ready to be active in the upcoming election.

    In the long term we’ve been steadily winning most social issues, but the last 30 years have sucked hard economically. Anti-union sentiment has been one of the levers of that policy, however. Until now the union members have been distracted from these attacks. It’s high time they realized that, yes, the Republicans view each and every union member as the enemy. If this overstep means the Republicans can no longer attack unions without pissing off union members, that’s extremely good news for us.

    So this could turn out pretty well! We’ll see.

  16. 16.

    Little Boots

    poor little scotty. everybody hates him. (How long before he goes full on Charlie Sheen? I’m saying 3 days.)

  17. 17.

    FlipYrWhig

    What, pray tell, are the “sometimes grubby realities of public-sector unionism”? This is just weird. It’s like all of these dillweeds only suddenly realized that not everyone shares their skewed judgment of who are the scariest bogeymen.

    The notion that there’s something uniquely sordid about public employees unionizing and backing candidates… because it’s too self-interested of them or something… does that really persuade anyone? Is that the scariest example of a powerful interest contributing money to a political cause or candidate in the hopes that said politician advances its agenda?

    These are just hateful, awful people. A whole party of them.

  18. 18.

    Moses2317

    @Dave C: We’re winning because, in addition to keeping the status quo, the Republicans’ overreach is finally helping folks realize whose side the Republicans really are on. Also, these events appear to have finally awoken a progressive economic movement that has been sleeping for far too long.

    Now, it is up to us to capitalize on these events by pressing our advantage and continuing to make clear that progressives are fighting for the working and middle classes, while Republicans are on the side of the wealthy elite.

    Winning Progressive

  19. 19.

    JPL

    GA is a right to work state which means that you can be fired without cause. The unemployment rate rose to 10.2% while the national average is 8.9%. I report, you decide.

  20. 20.

    dmsilev

    First comment in that McArdle McArticle:

    Am I naive and idealistic for thinking Republican’s just need to read Barry Goldwater and explain about the conflicts of interest inherent in Public Sector Collective Bargaining?

    Yes, that’s the ticket. One reading from the book of Goldwater, and all the people protesting in Madison will come and see the violence inherent in the system.

    dms

  22. 22.

    Culture of Truth

    Well they’re right, Walker and genius cronies fucked this up good.

    And that’s not just because their ideas are bad or screw ordinary working people. Plenty of ideas like that have gained traction in this country.

    Walker epitomizes the clueless GOP overreach. Which is all kinds of win.

  24. 24.

    Violet

    @JPL:
    Rush Limbaugh told his listeners today that every company that has unions is not doing well. He was just reporting and letting everyone decide.

  25. 25.

    Southern Beale

    It’s the Republican math problem … first millions to shampoo rugs at the state capitol and now this:

    Two local news organizations sued Gov. Scott Walker Friday for alleged failure to respond to their requests for e-mails that the governor claimed were overwhelmingly in favor of his controversial budget repair bill.
    __
    […]
    __
    But Richmond received an e-mail response late Friday, which was dated Feb. 25, from Nate Ristow, associate legal counsel for the governor, in which Ristow detailed the cost of printing out the e-mails of more than $31,250, to be paid in advance. Ristow also invited Richmond to review the records at Walker’s office for no charge.
    __
    In his records request, Lueders had asked that the e-mails be put on a disk instead of being printed on paper.

    I’m sorry, $31,000 to print out e-mails? I’m calling bullshit.

  27. 27.

    Amy

    Republicans were doing well in California before Governor Pete Wilson. Now it’s gone for them.

    George W. Bush did fairly well (for a Republican) in attracting Hispanics, but the anti-immigrant crazies have lost these voters for the Republican party.

    Reagan picked up a chunk of union voters and God, gun and gays issues enabled Republicans to do decently with them – but now Walker and Kasich and Christie have lost them for the Republican party.

    As Ungar writes in Forbes,

    The data should also weigh heavily on the minds of each and every Republican gearing up to run for president in 2012 as the actions of Governor Walker, Kasich and anyone else planning to enter this fight are bringing Christmas to Obama re-election campaign as they return rank and file union members to where they once lived – the Democratic Party.

    http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/03/04/gov-scott-walker-has-lost-the-war/#post_comments

  28. 28.

    Old Dan and Little Ann

    Sweet. My wife found out today she won’t have her social studies position next year. Unfuckingbelievble!

  29. 29.

    Sarah, Proud and Tall

    I once went to a cocktail party in Washington DC and met Megan McArdle. I think she must have been running late, and had to run to get there, because frankly she was a little whiffy.

    Late in the evening I was talking to Clarence Thomas. I took the opportunity to remind him of his little hair trick and give him another clap round the ear.

    We were just getting into our conversation when Megan McArdle threw herself at Justice Thomas. She had been drinking bourbon, and the lack of air conditioning in the British Embassy reception room was doing nothing good for her armpits.

    Clarence looked at her like she was dirt, and honestly, you know you have hit rock bottom when you can’t even get Clarence Thomas to take advantage of you.

  32. 32.

    JCT

    @dmsilev: My G_d, that one deserves a double-handed facepalm. Sure, go ahead since that Goldwater thing worked so well the first time.

    Lemmings, meet cliff.

  33. 33.

    gbear

    Man, I hope this catches on:

    Here’s a bizarre idea that might work: Whenever the Fox reporter is broadcasting, the crowd around him should break into a loud chorus of “Happy Birthday To You”.
    __
    a) It’s completely non-violent. Even Fox can’t spin it.
    b) It makes it hard for Fox to get their lies across.
    c) Since the song is under copyright, Fox will have to pay several… hundred dollars in royalties everytime they go to the crowd.

  34. 34.

    SatanicPanic

    I am not reading to say we’re winning until Mark Halperin says we’re losing.

  35. 35.

    Rick Massimo

    In the absence of a clearer reform message from Walker …

    Walker’s message hasn’t been clear? What, he needs to go on TV a few hundred more times?

  38. 38.

    feebog

    @flipyrwhig:

    Did you know that teachers get their own lounges. Their own lounges!

    Been in a few of those. To call them lounges is a stretch. Most of them consist of a few tables and the most uncomfortable chairs imaginable. Just sayin…

  39. 39.

    Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen

    obscuring the sometimes grubby realities of public-sector unionism.

    Name one, dickhead.

    But of course, it’s easier to not do something in the first place, than it is to back down once you’re all in . . .

    Especially if you’re an immature petty minded fuck who’d sooner pull off your own balls than admit you’re wrong.

    Of course, a person with two brain cells to rub together might argue that only an immature petty minded fuck would wind up all in, half in or even one-eighth in. That person might also note that anyone who supports him, however briefly, is also a petty minded fuck before concluding that people who supported the petty minded fuck and then pretended they were doing laundry the whole time are cowardly petty minded fucks.

    But we’re dealing with people who don’t have two brain cells to rub together, so never mind.

  40. 40.

    JCT

    @gbear: One of my favorite images from the past few days was that Fox idiot Tobin standing in from of the Madison capitol building with a guy holding a big “Fake News” sign behind him for all to see– looking for all the world like one of their “supporters” — serious win.

  41. 41.

    And Another Thing...

    I was in Target the other day and noticed they carry pink Himalayan salt. Psssst..nobody tell McMegan any prole can buy it.

  42. 42.

    Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen

    I’m sorry, $31,000 to print out e-mails? I’m calling bullshit.

    They’re printing it on cash Puke Scottwalker stole from Medicare.

    He’s tired of using it for toilet paper and he has to do SOMETHING with it.

  44. 44.

    patrick II

    The asserted reason for corporate tax cuts, like those Walker has given corporations in Wisconsin, is that usiness will do better, create more wealth, and we all share to some degree in the the new wealth created by efficiencies of the market.

    Doesn’t it seem fundamentally contradictory to the free marketeers stated goals that since we are going to be improving our prosperity we can’t afford the to pay teachers what we have been able to afford to pay them up until now? Will Walker and his market efficiencies make us so rich that we won’t be able to afford to pay librarians and health care workers next?

  45. 45.

    Gian

    It dawned on me yesterday, though I’m sure someone somewhere else thought of it first. Take the 2004 election map (and the possibility that Ohio was close enough to steal by playing games with which precent got voting machines)

    Any bets on a scenario, outside of theft, or Obama being caught with a live boy/dead girl
    that says 2012 is at worst a repeat of 2004 with Obama winning and winning Ohio.

    That’s what makes me think that they’ve overplayed their hands. I think there’s very good odds that they’ve gifted Obama his second term, and that is perhaps why he’s not on the picket line. He doesn’t want to jinx or change it
    (of Course Amy quoted someone in Forbes, but I swear, I did think of it on my own, yesterday)

  46. 46.

    Ailuridae

    For the first time ever I learned something from McMegan. I was really confused by her use of grubby here as an adjective as I was only familiar with the most literal definition (full of grubs) or as a synonym for grimy. But even for McMegan neither of those made much sense. So I looked it up and …

    3. Contemptible; despicable

    Her clear intended usage but one I had never encountered in my many years on earth. Again, I learned something from a McMegan post for the first time in two plus years of her being quoted non-stop by Left Blogistanis.

    To the more serious issues. The recall petitions of the members of the WI legislature is fantastic.

  47. 47.

    Mike in NC

    We’ll be welcomed as liberators in Madison, with flowers and sweets. Mission Accomplished v2.0! It never fails to work. Freedom is on the march!

  48. 48.

    mclaren

    Of course it’s all about the “PR battle.” Has nothing to do with robbing from the poor and the middle class to enrich the wealthy. Nothing to do with busting unions in order to create a slave society.

    I like that. It’s all about “winning the PR battle.”

    I guess by that standard, you could say that when the U.S. army liberated Auschwitz and Buchenwald, the “won the PR battle” in Europe in the 1940s.

  50. 50.

    Comrade Kevin

    @Amy:

    Republicans were doing well in California before Governor Pete Wilson. Now it’s gone for them.

    They still have enough of a hold on the state legislature where they can still fuck up the budget and state government.

  52. 52.

    Mike in NC

    @mclaren:

    I guess by that standard, you could say that when the U.S. army liberated Auschwitz and Buchenwald, the “won the PR battle” in Europe in the 1940s.

    We’ll need to run that by Mitch McConnell, just to be sure. He’d probably say the Third Reich was just misunderstood at the time and not given a fair deal given the issues of the day.

  53. 53.

    James E Powell

    @Comrade Kevin:

    They still have enough of a hold on the state legislature where they can still fuck up the budget and state government.

    This is the purpose of the super-majority provisions for tax bills at the state level. The ruling class can always have a veto over any attempt to make them pay their fair share.

  57. 57.

    Wile E. Quixote

    @Mike in NC:

    We’ll need to run that by Mitch McConnell, just to be sure. He’d probably say the Third Reich was just misunderstood at the time and not given a fair deal given the issues of the day.

    Yeah, and then he’d get all hot and bothered and start rubbing his crotch and talking about how great the Nazis looked in their Hugo Boss uniforms.

  59. 59.

    SRW1

    “… sometimes grubby realities of public-sector unionism …”

    Given the lavender-scented grasp the young dame has of labor relationships, she would say that, wouldn’t she.

    Let them eat cake!

  60. 60.

    newhavenguy

    Thanks for the McTardle analysis, all. I can’t bear it any more, and have to rely on others.

    But seriously, at risk of sounding like a pep talk:

    As a Democrat, I know I am not a member or an organized political party (Will Rogers, and shame on you if you didn’t know it. No I’m not old. KIDS GET OFF MY LAWN!)

    I know we don’t have the message discipline that the Confederate/pseudo-fascist party maintains. I know we don’t have the corporate sponsorship, either.

    I was just thinking about a year ago today, when the best damn health reform that could get past our crooked Senate seemed to be dead/dying day by day. I knew it was a BFD before Biden told me so, and I knew that it was one hell of a fight. They pulled out all the stops, threw millions in lying TV ads against us, smeared and slandered. (Death panels, anyone?)I seem to recall some… unusual parliamentary procedure, too.

    Pushing 40 I can’t say I have that much faith in the system, or even in the Democratic Party. But you know what? Even opposed by the biggest shitstorm in American political history, WE WON THAT ONE.

    Even when it’s hard, even when we are opposed, bitterly, inch by inch, opposed by big money with big TV presence, with their lying 30 second spots… we can win a big fight here and there, if we want to.

    Dunno if I’m trying to keep morale up, or just bragging, not like I had much to do with it. Pelosi is a bulldog, and Harry Reid… he reminds me of the kid in Bad Santa:

    Son of a bitch! You lousy, cheating little shit!
    You’re fucking with me! You did that on purpose.
    You play like the dead lice are falling off of you,
    and then suddenly, you’re like Seabiscuit all over the place.

    It couldn’t have happened without them, but just as important, it couldn’t have happened without the activists, either. I don’t mean She Who Will Not Be Named, either— I mean the union schmucks, the annoying wonks, even some Nuns here and there.

    When we get on the same page— page, hell, the same chapter!— we can fight these bastards, and we can win some, too.

    Should go without saying, but I am very, very fucking proud of Wisconsin’s (D) State Senators. Sort of thing that reminds me why I’m a Democrat in the first place.

    I mean this as metaphor, not as a call to violence: stomp Walker’s dick. Another two weeks of this and he’ll be jealous of Hedwig.

  61. 61.

    Jamey

    GaaahhhhHHHHHHHHH!

    Why is worker power in motherfucking air-quotes?

    God, some days I want to c*nt-punch the likes of Charles Lane and McMegan. Seriously, I am having some blood-pressure-raising bar-fight fantasies. Maybe it’s time the left got violent again–and not the symbolic, storm-the-dean’s-office violence, either.

    /eliminationist rant

  63. 63.

    Quiddity

    I think the fact the issue came to a head in white-bread America is one reason it’s working against Republicans.

  64. 64.

    Robert Waldmann

    Both of those are links to McArdle, so why did you mention Chuck Lane. I don’t think he is right-wing. I think he is insanely ballanced (that is an opinions on shape of earth differ guy).

    Also I didn’t know anyone still called him Chuck. I knew him in elementary school and in college.

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