Al Levie

Once again, a Leftist Wisconsin teacher behaves disgracefully.

Al Levie joins the ranks of Wisconsin public employees to thoroughly embarrass himself.

Who is this latest embarrassment?

[Al] Levie is a social studies teacher at Horlick High School and is on the state executive board of Voces de la Frontera and the Racine chapter of the NAACP. He is an advisor to the student youth group Youth Empowered in the Struggle.

More:

[Al Levie] works as a community organizer and teacher/program director for the Wisconsin Correctional Service.

Given Levie's radical Leftist resume, I suppose it should come as no surprise that he would behave so boorishly in public.

However, Levie acting in such a divisive, offensive manner at a Martin Luther King Jr. event is really taking his activism to an extreme that should make his fellow Leftists cringe. (The operative word is "should.")

From The Blaze, via Charlie Sykes:

A Wisconsin teacher refused to accept an award from Rep. Paul Ryan during a ceremony last week, saying he couldn’t do so “in good conscience” because of the Republican congressman’s politics.

Al Levie, a high school social studies teacher in Racine, Wis., was one of three recipients of a Martin Luther King Jr. humanitarian award during a celebration honoring the late civil rights leader. Ryan, who represents the district, was on hand to present congressional recognitions to each award winner, the Kenosha News reported:

After Ryan spoke, Levie criticized the congressman’s policies before being walked off the stage. Levie had earlier stated that he would like to see collective bargaining restored in Wisconsin, fair immigration reform and a fair tax system among other suggestions.

In a video of the ceremony, Ryan is seen stepping from behind the podium to hand the award to Levie, who backs away and instead turns to speak to the audience. His words aren’t audible, but according to the video’s captions he said, “I can’t in good conscience accept this award, as a humanitarian, Paul Ryan stands for everything I don’t believe in.”

“Oh come on,” one person is heard saying.

“For the kids!” someone else adds.

...“I would not accept the award from Paul Ryan because Paul Ryan is a lackey for the 1 percent,” he said. “Paul Ryan had no business at a Martin Luther King event, it’s totally hypocritical. On the one hand he votes to slash health care, while on the other hand, King dedicated his life and he died for it, for people to have adequate healthcare, to have adequate jobs.”

“King made it very clear that he was on the side of working people,” he continued. “Ryan on the other hand, he has absolutely no affinity for the working class and for him to come to an event where somebody of King’s stature was honored is wrong.”

Here's video:



Clearly, Levie doesn't deserve the award.

To publicly display such inexplicable hate for Paul Ryan shows that Levie is no humanitarian and should not have been selected as an honoree.

Obviously, Paul Ryan was invited to the event. He was a guest. Organizers wanted him to be there. When Ryan attempted to present a Congressional Certificate of Recognition to Levie, he snubbed Ryan in an awkward and selfish fashion.

The disrespectful Levie shamelessly put his politics before decency.

Dr. King didn't do that. That was not the approach he took. He appealed to the goodness in others by acting with integrity. Levie showed he lacks the sort of integrity Dr. King possessed.

Wisconsin taxpayer employee Levie embodies the antithesis to Dr. King.

Levie is a terrible role model. It was a mistake to honor a dishonorable man like him.

Rachel Maddow - Jeopardy

And the reality of MSNBC's dismal ratings rears its ugly head.

All three contestants on Jeopardy could not recognize a photo of Rachel Maddow and provide the answer (in the form of a question, please), "Who is Rachel Maddow?"

Video.



I guess smart people don't watch MSNBC.

Joe Biden: Fake Indian Accent

Joe Biden is one of the most buffoonish vice presidents we've ever had.

His latest stumble: Biden Does Fake Indian Accent During Outsourcing Speech

BIDEN: Even call centers, even call centers rushed over seas, hundreds of thousands. How many times you get the call, ‘I like to talk to you about your credit card’? Or that ad on TV, what is it? ‘Nancy, this is Nancy, can I talk to a supervisor?’ Right? Ok? Well, it’s a little overdone but the truth of the matter is these jobs now are paying about $19.50 an hour if memory serves me.

What's with Biden and mocking Indians?

Remember this one?

BIDEN: You cannot go into a Dunkin Donuts or a 7-Eleven unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking.

I guess we know how Biden learned his Indian accent.

Gogebic Taconite and Mining Bill

We need jobs.

Will Wisconsin legislators go "Keystone" on us?

From the Pierce County Herald:

Debate continued in the Wisconsin State Assembly this afternoon on the bill to speed up the process of granting state permits for new iron ore mines – like the one Gogebic Taconite wants to build in Ashland and Iron counties.

Germantown Republican Dan Knodl said the measure would create jobs and prosperity to people throughout the Badger State. And that includes mining equipment makers in Milwaukee, 400 miles from where the proposed Gogebic mine would be built. But Appleton Democrat Penny Bernard-Schaber said the authors of the 180-plus-page bill should start over. She criticized an amendment to raise the maximum amount the DNR could be paid for permit-related costs from $1.1 million dollars to two-million. Bernard-Schaber said the state would be left “holding the bag,” because it might cost up to eight-million-dollars for the DNR’s permit-related expenses. She also said local communities would be hurt by a proposal to give the state 40-percent of tax revenues from the products of the mines – even though the original plan called for a 50-50 split of the state-and-local shares. And Bernard-Schaber said local residents would be hurt by a $150,000 limit on collecting personal property damages due to the mine.

At one point, the presiding officer called for the Assembly gallery to be cleared because of hecklers. Madison Democrat Mark Pocan accused Republicans of over-reacting, saying it’s wrong to eject the entire gallery over the behavior of a few. But speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon) said quote, “It’s more than a protest to have obscenities raining down on the Assembly floor,” and unless a specific culprit can be identified, he said lawmakers did not have a choice but to throw everyone out. The culprit was apparently found, and the debate continued.

Imagine that. Hecklers.

Boy, I didn't see that coming.

Bottom line: Leftists/Democrats don't want jobs to be created on Scott Walker's watch.

Yes, they pander to the environmentalists, but for them, this is mostly about obstructing Walker and preventing the state from acquiring new business.

Of course, the Republicans control both the Assembly and the Senate, but the Senate is where things get sticky.

From the Associated Press:

Republican Gov. Scott Walker is behind the bill, calling again during his State of the State address Wednesday night for lawmakers to pass it. Republicans control the Assembly, making passage in that house all but certain.

Assembly approval would kick the bill to the state Senate, but from there things get murky. Republicans control the Senate, but they've been treading cautiously on mining changes. The GOP holds only a one-vote majority in the chamber and four GOP senators face potential recall elections later this year. Passing the bill could generate even more anger among voters.

The Senate appointed a special committee to study mining issues last fall, but the panel has met only once. Sen. Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, the committee's chairman, ticked off a number of questions about the Assembly proposal Thursday, saying the Senate might revamp the bill. All he could say for sure was he wants to get a mining bill out of the Senate before the legislative session ends in March.

"I'm not here to criticize the Assembly bill. They're putting out a product they feel their members are able to support, but that doesn't mean we can't add additional ideas and make the legislation better," Kedzie said.

The bill would require the state Department of Natural Resources to make a decision on an iron mining application within a year. Currently the process is open-ended.

...Mine opponents spent the day speaking out against the legislation in a Capitol hearing room, propping signs against the walls that read "there will be no mine, end of story, get out" and "they say mine, we say ours!!"

Members of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa filled the room. The tribe's reservation is located just downstream from the mine site and fears pollution from the mine will contaminate their beloved rice beds. Tribal elder Joseph Rose regaled listeners with the tribe's creation stories, saying humans were meant to live in harmony with nature and not take more than they need.

"That's the very basis of our spirituality," Rose said. "What will we be leaving to that seventh generation? Will there be clean water? Will there be fresh air? Will there be birds and animals?"

There has to be balance, of course.

The environmental impact should be considered, but it shouldn't be used as an excuse to prevent jobs from coming to the state.

Unreasonable obstruction sends jobs elsewhere.

Creating jobs and being good stewards of the earth are not mutually exclusive.

Kelly Rindfleisch, Darlene Wink, and John Chisholm

I've lost a lot of respect for Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm, DEMOCRAT.

His partisan political maneuvering has brought disgrace to himself and his office. His allegedly "secret" John Doe investigation has been a joke.

From 620 WTMJ:

Two new sets of charges have come down Thursday against two former staffers for now-Governor Scott Walker when he was Milwaukee County Executive.

Each staffer reportedly engaged in political activity and fundraising while on the job at the County Executive's office.

Kelly Rindfleisch faces four charges of misconduct in public office.

Rindfleisch, 43, was then-County Executive Walker's deputy chief of staff.

The complaint alleges that Rindfleisch illegally worked on Rep. Brett Davis' campaign at taxpayers' expense.

Darlene Wink also faces two misdemeanors of political solicitation by a public employee.

She worked as a constituent coordinator for Walker.

Rindfleisch allegedly set up a private e-mail account and operated the account from the County Executive's office.

The complaint says the e-mails were for both political campaigning and office work.

Wink reportedly raised money for Walker's gubernatorial race at county taxpayers' expense.

Chisholm's lengthy investigation has yielded nothing that accuses Scott Walker of wrongdoing.

RATS!

He tried, Leftists. Chisholm tried, but he came up with nothing.

When it comes to Rindfleisch and Wink, illegal actions are, obviously, unacceptable and should not be tolerated.

However, justice is blind, right?

It shouldn't matter that Rindfleisch and Wink were doing political work for Republicans.

Unfortunately, it does.

John Chisholm must have hundreds, maybe thousands, of public employees to investigate and charge for illegal political activities.

He must confiscate the work computers of public school teachers, and comb through all the files and emails.

We know that taxpayer employees engaged in political activity while on the clock as teachers in public schools.

Will Chisholm begin to investigate them?

Fat chance.

If this "secret" John Doe investigation sheds light on anything, it's that John Chisholm is a partisan hack.
___________________

Video, from FOX6 News:

'Wife's a F---ing Whore' - Protester to Joel Kleefisch

Last night after Governor Scott Walker delivered the State of the State address at the Capitol, Rep. Joel Kleefisch, husband of Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, was verbally assaulted by Leftist/Democrat/union protesters.

From the Capital Times:

A couple hundred people gathered at the Capitol Wednesday night for Gov. Scott Walker's State of the State speech. But the last thing they wanted to do was to actually hear it.

They were there to drown it out, with shouting, with singing, with profanity, and even with a poorly played sousaphone. And, they said, with a recall that will get Walker off the podium for good.

"We want to be really loud so they can hear us on TV," said Harriet Rowan, who was using her cellphone to tweet updates to followers. The organizers got around new Department of Administration rules restricting protests in the Capitol -- unveiled in December but not yet completely enforced -- by organizing via Twitter.

...The best part of the speech for many in this crowd was when it was over and politicians filed out.

"There's a live one!" someone shouted as Rep. Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc (also Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch's husband), strode past on his way to the bathroom.

"Shame!" shouted Jeremy Ryan, the executive director of a protest group called Defending Wisconsin.

As Kleefisch passed the crowd again later, a young woman taunted him. "Your wife's a f--- whore!" she screamed.

A man from Nebraska observing the scene was disgusted. "It's so disrespectful," he said. "We don't do this in Nebraska." He refused to give his name but said he was in town for what he described as a political convention.

This is beyond disrespectful.

It's a disgrace, an absolute disgrace.

Yes, it's shameful, as in "SHAME, SHAME, SHAME, SHAME."

There's no defending this sort of vile behavior.

I completely disagree with Tom Barrett politically. Without question, I think he should be voted out of office, not in a recall election, but when he's up for reelection. I think Barrett has been a disaster for Milwaukee. He would be a disaster for the state.

I've seen Barrett in public places. I've seen him walking around at Summerfest and the ethnic festivals.

I would NEVER start screaming at him. I would NEVER yell, "Your wife's a f---ing whore." I wouldn't whisper something like that. I wouldn't say it at all. I wouldn't think it.

I would NEVER post on Facebook, "Tom Barrett must die." I wouldn't say it and I wouldn't think it.

Such behavior is completely inexcusable. The lack of civility is shocking. Only a sociopath would act out in such a disgusting manner.

The public unions and other Scott Walker haters are doing nothing to help their cause by acting like thugs, truly despicable thugs.

SUPER BOWL XXXI - 15 Years Ago

It was fifteen years ago today.

The Green Bay Packers beat the New England Patriots to become Super Bowl XXXI champions.

Al Marsh: Walker Death Threat, Protester

On his radio program yesterday, Mark Belling reported that Al Marsh, under investigation for posting a threat to Scott Walker's life on Facebook, is, in fact, a city of Milwaukee employee.

Belling said that Marsh has made some additional Facebook posts since his disturbing comment first drew attention, including defending his "Scott Walker must die" threat as free speech.

Do you recognize this man?



It's Al Marsh. He believes he has the right to threaten the life of Scott Walker, Governor of Wisconsin.

Truly sick and deranged.

Failing to take his remark seriously is also sick. It's frightening.

Looking through Marsh's photos on Facebook is revealing.

His decision to post this is kind of scary:



Marsh also has a photo of the Capitol building in Madison from March 5, 2011, with the caption, "We arrive at the capital."

It's clear that Marsh dislikes Governor Walker enough to have made the trip from Milwaukee to Madison to protest. He's an activist.

With a photo of the protest captioned "40,000 strong," Marsh comments: "This is how I spent my Saturday."

Another photo from March 5, in Madison: "The assault begins."

"Assault"? Marsh's choice of words suggests violence, not a peaceful protest.

Some of his other photos from the same day:

"Protest rally marchers."

"Fellow protesters in the capital."

Marsh isn't just a guy writing dumb stuff online. He's actively involved in the anti-Scott Walker movement.

I hope law enforcement is thoroughly investigating Marsh.

The guy really creeps me out.

"Scott Walker must die."

A stable person, at least 50 years old, doesn't post that.

Scott Walker: State of the State (Transcript)

Governor Scott Walker delivered his State of the State last night.

There were a few disruptions during the address, but they were minor.

Here's the transcript, as prepared for delivery:

Speaker Fitzgerald, Speaker Pro Tem Kramer, President Ellis, Majority Leader Fitzgerald, Minority Leader Miller, Minority Leader Barca, members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Constitutional Officers, tribal leaders, members of the Cabinet, distinguished guests, members of the Legislature, my wife Tonette and our family and most importantly fellow citizens of the great state of Wisconsin, it is an honor to appear before you tonight.

Next to my wife is the Adjutant General of Wisconsin Major General Don Dunbar. I want to thank him and the more than 10,000 members of our state's National Guard.

With him tonight are the members of the 724th Engineer Battalion. I first spoke with them when they were deployed in Iraq. I greeted them when they returned home and then, I saw many of them again this summer as they responded to the massive damage caused by the wind storms in northwestern Wisconsin.

Their dedication — to their country, their state and, their communities is a prime example of what we all know as the Spirit of Wisconsin. We thank them — and all of the other men and women in uniform: both past and present — for their service.

Before we begin our conversation, let us take a moment to honor a member of our state government family, who couldn't be with us tonight. Representative Tamara Grigsby is fighting a brave battle. Like so many of you, Tonette and I continue to send our thoughts and prayers to Representative Grigsby and her family, and we look forward to seeing her in this chamber again very soon.

Tonight, we come together to discuss the state of our state. To do so, we need to remember where we were as a state prior to a year ago, what we've accomplished over the past year and most importantly where we are headed in the year to come.

When I addressed you in this chamber last January, Wisconsin had suffered through three years of 150,000 of our fellow citizens losing their jobs. The unemployment rate was 7.5 percent. And after years of tax increases and budget tricks, Wisconsin faced one of the largest budget deficits in the country.

Now, our unemployment rate is down from a year ago. In fact, it's the lowest it's been since 2008.

We are turning things around. We are heading in the right direction.

During the past year, we added thousands of new jobs. And we balanced the state budget. We balanced it — without raising taxes; without massive layoffs; and without budget tricks; all of which allowed us to put more than $1.2 billion of new state money into Medicaid programs like Badgercare and FamilyCare.

Tonight, I want to share with you how we got here and I want to share our plan for:

— Helping the people of Wisconsin create more jobs,

— Keeping a balanced budget and

— Improving the education of our kids by working together.

When I ran for governor, I talked a great deal about the core principles I call "Brown Bag Common Sense." One of those principles is that people create jobs, not the government.

In the past, however, some thought that the government did create jobs and that's how they justified raising taxes to pay for the unsustainable expansion of government.

That thinking might explain why prior to my taking office the state lost 150,000 private sector jobs.

In contrast, I believe it is the people of this state who create jobs and not the government. With that in mind, I set out to improve the climate for small businesses in Wisconsin.

Last year, we passed some of the most aggressive pro-jobs legislation in the country. And we did it with help from lawmakers in both parties because these aren't Republican or Democrat jobs, they're Wisconsin jobs.

Tonight I'm happy to report that after three years of losing 150,000 jobs Wisconsin actually added thousands of new jobs in 2011. New business formations are up by over 2 percent. And our unemployment rate is down from a year ago.

In fact, Wisconsin's unemployment rate is not only lower than the national average but much better than our neighbors to the south in Illinois.

Most importantly, we improved the climate for job creators here in Wisconsin over the past year.

Today, 94 percent of our job creators believe Wisconsin is headed in the right direction. That compares to just 10 percent who thought the same thing just two years ago. And a majority of these employers say they're going to grow in 2012.

They will join companies like RUUD Lighting in Sturtevant or Uline in Hudson, Collaborative Consulting in Wausau or Shopko in Green Bay, Generac in Whitewater or City Brewing in La Crosse — all of whom announced new jobs during the past year.

They'll join Kestrel Aircraft in Superior. I was just there two weeks ago when they announced they're adding 600 new jobs. The Mayor said it was the largest jobs project in the region since World War II.

But, the inspiring stories don't come just from company owners or plant managers; they come from employees.

Sandy Breth — who is here with us tonight — has one of those great stories.

When the economy took a dive a few years ago, she took a pay cut. Not long after that, she lost her job. Today, however, she's working at G3 Industries in Mosinee.

G3 is one of those companies that added jobs in the past year and now has plans to add even more in the future. The owner told me that he's creating more jobs in Wisconsin because he likes the way we are moving our state forward.

Without the positive changes, he told me he would not have had the confidence to grow his business here. Improving the business climate is not only good for business owners; it's good for people like Sandy and her family.

We need more stories like hers in Wisconsin. So our Lieutenant Governor and I held small business round-tables all over the state.

From La Crosse to Green Bay, from Superior to Racine, from Milwaukee to Eau Claire, from Madison to Wausau, we listened. In particular, we heard many business owners say that they have jobs but that they cannot find enough skilled workers to fill them. This is a problem that must be solved.

With that in mind, we introduced our Wisconsin Working jobs plan. In it, we double the number of job fairs, add staff to connect people to employment, make it easier for job seekers to get needed skills and we prepare to do more to promote manufacturing.

In addition, we are specifically targeting our veterans for full employment. It is unacceptable to think that any man or woman who has served our country would return home and not be able to find a job. I made employment of our returning veterans the number one mission of our state Department of Veterans Affairs.

Focusing on veterans is good for employers like Monarch Company in Milwaukee who is looking to add machinists and welders. After a recent visit there they told me they understand the benefits of employing veterans. Our returning service members are good hires because they are well disciplined. On top of that, they can get their training paid for through the Wisconsin GI Bill that we fully restored last year.

To create more jobs, employers told us they also need help cutting through the red tape of government.

Tonight, I'm announcing new members to the Small Business Regulatory Review Board which has the authority to review every rule in all of our state agencies. I will direct our agencies to work with them to remove antiquated and unnecessary regulations that pose a threat to creating new jobs.

Employers also told us that they need a 21st century infrastructure system to drive economic development. After the previous administration raided more than a billion dollars out of the Transportation Fund, I took action to restore our commitment to good roads, freight rail and strong ports. We know that a strong transportation system helps manufacturers and farmers get product to and from market and it keeps good people on the job building that infrastructure.

There is another tremendous opportunity for job growth. We can pass legislation that will streamline the process for safe and environmentally sound mining. The proposed project in northwestern Wisconsin could provide at least 700 jobs at the mine and thousands across the state.

I mentioned this idea several times during the campaign and we've debated it for months. Now it is time for Wisconsin to move forward on a project that is not only about jobs but also about the history of our badger state.

Our heritage in Wisconsin is also built on fiscal restraint. One of the most important parts of our state constitution affirms that "frugality in government leads to freedom and prosperity for our people." That is worth repeating: "frugality in government leads to freedom and prosperity for our people." I believe our founders had it right.

Think about it, when I spoke here last January, Wisconsin faced a $3.6 billion deficit.

In the past, state government took more than a billion dollars away from building safe roads and bridges, illegally raided the fund to support malpractice victims and ignored a payment to Minnesota for tax reciprocity. And one-time federal stimulus money was used for ongoing costs — all of these practices left us with a more than $3 billion hole to fill last year.

While these poor decisions of the past left us with a major budget deficit, Wisconsin was not alone. Nearly every state in America faced a budget deficit in 2011. So what did other states do?

Some, like Illinois, raised taxes — but that only made matters worse.

Other states used massive layoffs to balance their budgets. We avoided that in Wisconsin.

Some states cut core services like Medicaid. But in Wisconsin, we added some $1.2 billion to Medicaid and our reforms allow us to expand Familycare — our long-term care program for seniors — all across the state.

Still other states opted to use budget tricks. But I didn't want to pass that burden on to my sons and their generation. I want our kids and grandkids to inherit a Wisconsin even greater than the one we did.

With that in mind, we balanced the $3.6 billion budget deficit with long-term, structural reforms. We thought more about the next generation than we did about the next election.

And isn't that what the people elected us to do? We kept our promises.

It's why our ranking as a good place to create jobs went up faster than any state in the country last year. We went from years of being ranked in the bottom 10 to breaking into the top half of the states. Employers appreciate that we took our fiscal problems seriously and that we addressed them with real solutions.

Another important pledge I made was to not raise taxes. That's even more important in a tough economy.

Many of us believe that the $3 billion tax increase imposed a few years ago actually led to the massive job losses through 2010. In contrast, we enacted a budget in 2011 that lowered the overall tax burden in Wisconsin.

For the five years prior to last year, the average school tax levy increased $220 million per year. Our reforms led to the first decrease in the school property tax levy in six years. The total school tax levy actually went down by more than $47 million.

That means real money in the hands of real people. People like Pam Petry of Rice Lake. Mrs. Petry saw her property tax go down by more than $100 this year. Or people like Gail Griswold of West Salem who was surprised to see her bill go down, too.

Our reforms helped protect these taxpayers and thousands of others across the state.

Still, there is more to be done to protect the taxpayers of Wisconsin. Last year, I appointed the bipartisan Commission on Waste, Fraud, and Abuse. The members turned in their final report earlier this month. In it, they identified over $400 million in savings for the taxpayers.

We've already implemented some of the recommendations from this report. And to date, these reforms have saved taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. That's a great start.

But identifying waste isn't enough; we need to eliminate it. To that end, I'm announcing the Waste, Fraud and Abuse Elimination Taskforce charged with the responsibility to follow through on the report.

Because I respect the hard working people of Wisconsin, I will continue to be a good steward of the taxpayers' dollar. Eliminating waste, fraud and abuse is a top priority of my administration.

Just as important as saving money, our reforms help government work well in places where it does have a legitimate role — like education. As governor, I travel the state and see great schools all the time. And as the father of two public high school students, I'm reminded of their importance every day

I want to improve our schools and ensure that every kid — no matter what zip code they live in — has access to a great education.

Fortunately, we can have great schools and protect taxpayers at the same time. We just have to spend our money more wisely. For example, before our reforms, school districts often had to buy their health insurance from one company which cost them millions of dollars.

Now, they can bid it out and that is saving school districts millions of dollars across the state. The Hartland-Lakeside School District saved nearly $700,000 by switching insurance providers. In Menomonee Falls they saved $2.4 million. In North Fond du Lac they were able to keep the same provider but saved over $300,000. That's money that can go directly into the classroom.

Here's another example, a few years ago long before I was governor, a young woman was named the Outstanding Initial Educator by the Wisconsin Council of Teachers of English. Not long after she received the award, she was laid off.

Why? Well, under the old collective bargaining system she was one of the first to be laid off because she was one of the last ones to be hired. It didn't matter that she was one of the best teachers in the state.

To correct problems like that, our reforms now allow local school districts to staff based on merit and pay based on performance. That means we can put the best and brightest in our classrooms — and we can keep them there.

Two years ago, I spoke to the convention of school board members and administrators and laid out my plan. As a candidate for Governor, I told them that the system needed to be reformed and that we should empower local officials who were elected at the local level to make the decisions about their schools. And that's exactly what our reforms do.

The best reminder of that came from the words of a superintendent of a small school district who said to me "now I get to go back to my office and focus on curriculum instead of grievances." That is exactly what all of this hard work is for — to allow our schools, as well as our state and local governments, to work better for the people we serve.

Tonight, I want to again thank the many teachers and public servants from across the state of Wisconsin. We appreciate your hard work and your dedication to serving the public. And we are glad that Wisconsin avoided the massive layoffs of government employees experienced in other states.

Looking ahead, there is much more to be done to improve our education system.

No skill is as fundamental to student achievement as the ability to read. Something profound happens when a student passes from third grade to fourth grade. You see, from kindergarten through third grade, students spend the bulk of their time learning to read. But by fourth grade, our kids must be equipped with proficient reading skills, so they are no longer learning to read, but reading to learn.

That's why I joined with Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers to put together a Read to Lead task force — which was a diverse group of educators, reading specialists, parents and others from across the state to create a plan for improving the reading skills of our students.

I also want to commend Senator Luther Olsen, Representative Steve Kestell and Representative Jason Fields — as well as each of the other taskforce members for working together on Read to Lead.

Wisconsin used to lead the nation as one of the top-ranked states in 4th grade reading assessment. But by the time I took office Wisconsin had sunk to the middle of the pack. We can all agree that we can and should do better.

As part of our Read to Lead plan, we propose swift action to get our students back on top when it comes to reading.

— We will fund screeners to assess every child entering kindergarten, so that our teachers know the reading levels of each of their students and can put together plans to get kids reading at grade level.

— We will require the state's Young Star program which works with child care providers to include a new focus on reading skills and new training on early childhood education.

— We will implement a more rigorous licensure exam for elementary education programs patterned after the highly successful program in Massachusetts.

— We will create a Read to Lead development council to raise support for reading programs all across Wisconsin.

A study last April showed that students are 4 times more likely to drop out of a school if they are not reading at grade level by the time they leave third grade and they are 13 times more likely if you include poverty as an additional factor. It is our duty to help all our kids learn to read early, so they don't ever have to feel like learning isn't for them.

Our most ambitious goal is developing a uniquely Wisconsin school and school district accountability plan.

Dr. Evers and I have been working with a diverse group of individuals to develop our plan to let parents, teachers, and communities know which schools are performing well, so that we can replicate their success. And we do need to know which schools are failing, so we can help them.

Ultimately, educators, parents and even employers will be able to look at the scores of schools and school districts all across the state. Every school that receives public funds — be it a traditional public school, a charter school or a choice school — will be rated by a fair, objective and transparent system. We are proud of the work done by this design team and I want to thank Dr. Evers and his staff for the great leadership and collaboration on this important project.

Tonight I've discussed our challenges, our progress and our vision for success as we seek to create a climate for more jobs, a fiscally sound state government and an education system that works well for all of our children. Now, I'm asking each of you — in every part of the state — to help us move Wisconsin forward.

Over the last year, we've demonstrated our commitment to improve the climate for business here in Wisconsin. Tonight I'm asking small business owners from across the state to consider hiring at least one more person this year.

Imagine how many more people we could get working if we all pitched in together.

To continue to improve our fiscal standing so our kids inherit a state without massive deficits, I ask each of you to share your ideas of how to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in government at our website bestpractices.wi.gov.

Imagine how much better we can make our government work if we share good ideas and suggestions.

To continue to improve the educational opportunities for our kids, I'm asking each of you to join me and become a reading mentor. Last week, I started reading with a third grader in Milwaukee.

I read to her about Science and the marine life under the water. She read to me out of her book about the adventures of Edgar and Ellen. Then we did a reading exercise on the computer. I've got to tell you that I was impressed.Imagine how many kids we can inspire to be great readers if we all reach out to our local schools.

In closing, let me leave you with a final thought.

Years ago, when I had the honor of representing the people of Wauwatosa in this chamber I learned a valuable lesson: don't personalize your differences. Over the years, I passed that on to many others with the simple reminder that your opponent today may be your ally tomorrow.

The people I've met travelling the state over the past year seem to reflect that simple concept of respect for their fellow citizen. Sure, there are plenty of people with plenty of different opinions — on politics, on business, on religion, on sports, on just about anything in this state. But what I've found in most parts of Wisconsin is a sense of respect.

Most of the people I've met in this state care — not only for their family and friends — but for the well-being of their neighbors and fellow citizens.

That's the spirit of Wisconsin. I've seen it in the faces of the volunteers who show up to help after tornadoes in places like Merrill or La Crosse or Marinette. And I've always seen it in the faces of our men and women in uniform like the members of the 724th we met at the start of the night.

Moving forward I believe that spirit of Wisconsin will help us improve the state of our economy, the state of our budget, the state of our schools and — ultimately, the spirit of Wisconsin will help us all improve the lives of each and every citizen in our great state.

Now is the time for action. Now is the time to get our state working again. Now is the time to move Wisconsin forward.

This is a much better speech in terms of substance and vision than Obama's State of the Union address.

Here's video of protesters in the Capitol rotunda after the address, from the MacIver Institute:





Lame, lame, lame, lame, lame!!!!!

What are they going to do when we reelect Scott Walker and their recall crashes and burns?

Vuvuzela in hand, but no place to go.

Maybe they'll become soccer fans.

Jan Brewer Gives Obama Finger (Video)

UPDATE: Gov. Jan Brewer Reveals What Happened in the Photo of Her, President Obama in a ‘Heated Exchange’


________________

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer greeted Obama at the airport on Wednesday.

Obama used the opportunity to lash out at her.

From the Arizona Republic:

President Barack Obama arrived at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and was greeted by Gov. Jan Brewer, among other dignitaries and local mayors. The two spoke intensely for a few minutes. At one point, she pointed her finger at him. At another, they were talking over each other.

Obama appeared to walk away from Brewer while they were still talking.

"He was a little disturbed about my book, 'Scorpions for Breakfast,' " Brewer told a pool reporter who is a member of the traveling White House press corps shortly after her encounter with Obama. "I said to him that I have all the respect in the world for the office of the president. The book is what the book is. I asked him if he read the book. He said he read the excerpt."

Asked what aspect of the book disturbed him, Brewer said: "That he didn't feel that I had treated him cordially. I said I was sorry he felt that way, but I didn't get my sentence finished. Anyway, we're glad he's here."

Brewer, a Republican, had given Obama a letter about immigration and invited him back to Arizona. Her office declined to release a copy, saying it was a personal, hand-written letter and not a public record. She later released a statement saying she and the president had discussed "this state's economic turnaround."

A White House official said Obama told Brewer that he wants to help Arizona's economy expand and that he'd be happy to meet with her, but that he felt Brewer gave an inaccurate portrayal of her previous Oval Office meeting in her 2011 book.

The official said their last meeting, in June 2010, was a cordial discussion in the Oval Office. At the time, Brewer also described the conversation as cordial, but in the book, she calls the president "patronizing" and said "he lectured me."

Following Wednesday's event, Brewer spokesman Matthew Benson said the governor "was somewhat taken aback by the president's tone" during the encounter.

From the Associated Press:

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer came to greet President Obama upon his arrival outside Phoenix Wednesday. What she got was a critique. Of her book.

The two leaders could be seen engaged in an intense conversation at the base of Air Force One's steps. Both could be seen smiling, but speaking at the same time.

Asked moments later what the conversation was about, Brewer, a Republican, said, "He was a little disturbed about my book."

Brewer recently published a book, "Scorpions for Breakfast," something of a memoir of her years growing up, and defends her signing of Arizona's controversial law cracking down on illegal immigrants, which Obama opposes.

Obama was objecting to Brewer's description of a meeting he and Brewer had at the White House, where she described Obama as lecturing her. In an interview in November Brewer described two tense meetings. The first took place before his commencement address at Arizona State University. "He did blow me off at ASU," she said in the television interview in November.

She also described meeting the president at the White House in 2010 to talk about immigration. "I felt a little bit like I was being lectured to, and I was a little kid in a classroom, if you will, and he was this wise professor and I was this little kid, and this little kid knows what the problem is and I felt minimized to say the least."

Temper, temper, Obama. Show a little self-control.

This was not the time to engage in a hissy fit over Brewer's book.

Very unpresidential to say the least.

I don't blame Brewer for responding.

Obama threw the first punch.

Video.

Debbie Bosanek: RICH

Debbie Bosanek is Obama's class warfare poster girl, symbol of the struggling middle class.

Bosanek is "secretary to billionaire investor Warren Buffet" She's "the face of the 'Buffett Rule,' the tax policy President Obama is pushing, inspired by Buffett’s assertion that he shouldn’t pay a lower tax rate than his secretary does."

And there was little Ms. Bosanek, joining Michelle Obama in the gallery during the State of the Union address. Bosanek is seen here next to Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of Steve Jobs.



New revelations about Bosanek prove to be awkward for Obama.

From Paul Roderick Gregory, Forbes:

Warren Buffet’s secretary, Debbie Bosanek, served as a stage prop for President Obama’s State of the Union speech. She was the President’s chief display of the alleged unfairness of our tax system – a little person paying a higher tax rate than her billionaire boss.

Bosanek’s prominent role in Obama’s “fairness” campaign piqued my curiosity, and I imagine the curiosity of others. How much does her boss pay this downtrodden woman? So far, no one has volunteered this information.

...Insofar as Buffet (like Mitt Romney) earns income primarily from capital gains, which are taxed at 15 percent (and according to Obama need to be raised for reasons of fairness), we need to determine how much income a taxpayer like Bosanek must earn in order to pay an average tax rate above fifteen percent. This is easy to do.

The IRS publishes detailed tax tables by income level. The latest results are for 2009. They show that taxpayers earning an adjusted gross income between $100,000 and $200,000 pay an average rate of twelve percent. This is below Buffet’s rate; so she must earn more than that. Taxpayers earning adjusted gross incomes of $200,000 to $500,000, pay an average tax rate of nineteen percent. Therefore Buffet must pay Debbie Bosanke a salary above two hundred thousand.

We must wait for further details to learn how much more than $200,000 she earns. The tax tables tell us about average ranges. For all we know she earns closer to a half million each year, but that is pure speculation.

I have nothing against Debbie Bosanke earning a half million or even more. Buffet is a major player in the world economy. His secretary deserves good compensation. At her income, however, she is scarcely the symbol of injustice that Obama wishes her to project.

Debbie's salary isn't the sort I typically think of when it comes to secretary work.

She's a rich girl.

Embarrassing for Obama.
________________

Gabrielle Giffords Resigns (Video)

From FOX News:

In the conclusion to an emotional ceremony in the House of Representatives Wednesday morning, a close friend and colleague of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), took to the podium to read the text of Giffords’ letter of resignation submitted to Congress this past weekend. Wasserman Schultz couldn’t hold back tears as she read the letter, which thanked friends, colleagues and constituents for their prayers and loyalty.

“Thank you for your faith in my ability to be your voice,” it read. “Even as we are set back by tragedy or profound disagreement, in the end we come together as Americans to set a course towards greatness. Every day I am working hard. I will recover and I will return, and we will work together again for Arizona and for all Americans.”

Giffords was then escorted by Wasserman Schultz up to the podium of House Speaker John Boehner, who embraced the congresswoman as he accepted her resignation letter. Boehner then tearfully held Giffords’ hand and raised it to Congress, who, with husband Mark Kelly and her mother in attendance, were all on their feet in a standing ovation.

Video.



What a moving moment!

Just one year after being shot in an assassination attempt, it is truly remarkable that Gabby Giffords was able to return to the U.S. House of Representatives and personally hand her letter of resignation to the Speaker of the House.

It's a triumph over the horrific violence that took place on that January Saturday in Tucson.

I prefer to focus on that victory rather than allow the anger I feel about the shootings to take over.

When I see Gabby Giffords, I'm inspired by her beautiful spirit and incredible determination. But I'm also heartbroken that the massacre occurred.

Her recovery has been miraculous. I know how hard she's had to work to get to where she is today. I hope and pray she continues to progress.

Obama: 'America Not About Handouts'

Obama has got to be kidding!

From the Associated Press:

Obama: America about hard work, not handouts

President Barack Obama, promoting his opportunity-for-all economic agenda in the state that helped him get elected, said Wednesday that "America is not about handouts" but people do expect their shot at success. Following up on his State of the Union address, he defended the government's role in ensuring fairness and rejected criticisms about class warfare.

"There's no reason why we can't restore the basic American promise that if you work hard, you can do well," Obama said from a manufacturing plant. He said most people don't have unrealistic ambitions about their economic future but they do want to own a home, save for retirement and "achieve that small measure of an American dream."

..."America is not about handouts," he said. "America is about earning everything you've got."

Good grief. [Insert spit-take here.]

Obama is ALL about handouts from "his stash." His vision for America is entitlements. Obama is about dependence on big government.

The American dream under Obama is getting one's share of the wealth confiscated from the rich and the hard-working.

Obama SOTU Redux

Obama did a lot of regurgitating last night in his State of the Union address.

Déjà vu video:



The big difference between his 2011 and 2012 speeches was delivery. Obama has picked up that weird habit of lowering his voice and straining with faux passion and sincerity. It's ineffective because he does it way too often.

Someone coached Obama on that speaking method. Bad move, coach.

Instead, Obama should be coached to occasionally look away from the teleprompters and directly into the camera. The left, right, left, right turns make for a detached delivery. Obama needs to connect with the people and look straight into the camera.

Prince Fielder: $214 Million

Good-night, sweet Prince.

It's official. Prince Fielder's days with the Brewers are over. He cut a deal with the Detroit Tigers.

Free-agent first baseman Prince Fielder and the Detroit Tigers agreed Tuesday on a nine-year, $214 million contract, a person familiar with the deal said, filling the AL Central champions' need for a power hitter.

CBS first reported the agreement.

The person told the Associated Press that the deal is subject to a physical. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract is not complete.

$214 million.

Yikes!

Obama is coming. Hand it over.

Let's spread that $214 million around.

How much do I get?

Thaddeus McCotter: SOTU Response

Rep. Thaddeus McCotter responds to the State Of The Union:

“Tragically for the American people, in our unfolding globalized century the President remains wedded to a failed “Great Society” government: specifically, Washington elites dictating who gets someone else’s money. For the sake of our country’s economy and security, this President must learn that the great American tradition isn’t redistributionism; the great American tradition is exceptionalism. The sooner he does – or is relieved of the burden of governing – the sooner the American people will build a 21st Century of unprecedented liberty, prosperity and security.”

McCotter gets it.

More:

Al Marsh: Scott Walker Death Threat

UPDATE, January 25, 2012: Mark Belling reports that Al Marsh is, in fact, a city of Milwaukee employee, as stated on his Facebook page.

Belling says that Marsh has made some additional Facebook posts, including defending his "Scott Walker must die" threat as free speech.

Do you recognize this man?



It's Al Marsh. He believes he has the right to threaten the life of Scott Walker, Governor of Wisconsin.

Truly sick and deranged.

Looking through Marsh's photos on Facebook is revealing.

His decision to post this is kind of scary:



Marsh also has a photo of the Capitol building in Madison from March 5, 2011, with the caption, "We arrive at the capital."

It's clear that Marsh dislikes Governor Walker enough to have made the trip to Madison to protest. He's an activist.

With a photo of the protest captioned "40,000 strong," Marsh comments: "This is how I spent my Saturday."

Another photo from March 5, in Madison: "The assault begins."

"Assault"? Marsh's choice of words suggests violence, not a peaceful protest.

Some of his other photos from the same day:

"Protest rally marchers."

"Fellow protesters in the capital."

Marsh isn't just a guy writing dumb stuff online. He's actively involved in the anti-Scott Walker movement.

I hope law enforcement is thoroughly investigating Marsh.

The guy really creeps me out.

"Scott Walker must die."

A stable person, at least 50 years old, doesn't post that.
_______________

Has Governor Scott Walker received yet another death threat on the Internet?

According to Mark Belling, an investigation is underway.

To date, online death threats against Scott Walker have been made with impunity.

Belling has posted the link to a screen shot of the "I Stand with Scott Walker" Facebook page showing a threatening post made by Facebook user "Al Marsh."

The individual writing from Marsh's account was very clear. The person wrote:

Scott Walker must die.

Short and sweet.

Who is Al Marsh?

He went to South Division High School, class of 1979, and lives in Milwaukee. He lists his present employers as "City of Milwaukee" and "Milwaukee World Festivals, Inc." as a security supervisor.



Did someone use Marsh's account to make the threatening post?

Did he write it?


Al Marsh

It's possible Marsh is a victim in this situation.

It's also possible that he is responsible for writing "Scott Walker must die" on the "I Stand with Scott Walker" Facebook page.

If city of Milwaukee employee Marsh posted that threatening statement on Facebook, he should get more than a slap on the wrist. Such behavior is inexcusable. These threats against the Governor's life must stop. Why is this stuff tolerated and dismissed as harmless?

It's not harmless. Only a thug would write something like that.

We know with certainty that someone wrote the post, and that individual should be held accountable for threatening the life of Wisconsin's governor.

This is completely unacceptable.

I wonder how many online threats Jim Doyle received while in office as governor.

How many were ignored?

Paul Ryan: SOTU Statement

Press release from Paul Ryan:

Following President Obama’s State of the Union address, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin issued the following statement:

“In tonight’s speech, President Obama missed an opportunity to lead. Instead of putting forward bold solutions to tackle our most pressing challenges, the President offered more empty promises and recycled the same failed policies. Instead of charting a new course for renewed opportunity, the President recommitted to the path to debt, doubt and decline. Instead of working together to find common ground, the President continues to exploit the real anxieties of hard-working families by dividing Americans for political gain. Pitting Americans against each other makes us weaker, not stronger.

“The President stated his desire to ‘fight obstruction with action,’ yet his own party’s leaders in the U.S. Senate have failed to even propose a budget despite our looming fiscal crisis. In fact, today marks 1,000 days without a budget from Senate Democrats – a legal and moral failure by elected leaders. The economic and fiscal challenges before us require credible budget plans, and the President and his party’s leaders refuse to account for their reckless spending spree. The speech offered little more than a laundry list of proposals to spend money we don't have without any serious solutions to dig us out of the hole we're in. I invite the President and his party’s leaders to join our efforts to advance bipartisan solutions and principled reforms. I’m proud to work across the aisle on reforms that save and strengthen Medicare and repair the broken budget process. It is disappointing that the President continues to isolate himself from these efforts with false partisan attacks.

“The President rightly highlighted the need for a ‘renewal of American values.’ Yet the results of his failed policies and divisive rhetoric do just the opposite. Centralizing more power in Washington is antithetical to the American Idea, which promotes economic freedom and upward mobility for each and every citizen. It is critical we work together to advance a reform agenda that applies our timeless principles to the challenges of today.”

Timothy Dolan: Administration on Wrong Side of Constitution

Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, has strong words for Obama and his administration.

Dolan states that the Obama administration is stripping away religious liberty and violating the Constitution.

He calls for Catholics to contact their legislators and let them know "we want religious liberty and rights of conscience restored and the administration's [contraceptive] mandate rescinded."

Here's video, from CNSNews:



Transcript

CARDINAL-DESIGNATE TIMOTHY DOLAN: Religious liberty is certainly front and center in conversation these days, and that's very good.

Some days ago, so many Americans of all creeds, or none at all, cheered a unanimous decision of the Supreme Court, remember? The Court ruled that churches have the fundamental freedom to choose their own ministers without government interference. Nothing could be truer. All nine justices of the Supreme Court rejected the administration's incredibly narrow and unprecedented interpretation of religious liberty in that celebrated case. The court's decision was a home run for the 1st Amendment and for our democracy. But I'm afraid the administration is on the wrong side of the Constitution again.

Now it's ordered almost every employer and insurer in the country to provide sterilizations and contraceptives, including some abortion-inducing drugs, in their health plans. And it's requiring almost all Americans, even those with ethical and religious objections, to pay for this coverage.

The administration offered a very narrow religious exemption to some employers such as churches; but the government will still require most Americans to pay for this coverage even if it violates their consciences.

That's a foul ball by any standard. Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience. This shouldn't happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights.

How about letting our elected leaders know that we want religious liberty and rights of conscience restored and the administration's mandate rescinded? We can't afford to strike out on this one.

I admire Cardinal-designate Dolan's leadership.

Too often in the past, U.S. Catholic leaders have been lax when it comes to challenging the dictates of pro-abortion, anti-religious liberty politicians.

Too often in the past, Catholics have been lax as well.