This image from last night is SO GOOD it bears multiple repeats.
So, expect to see this image repeatedly because it says so much about so many MANY things.
Onto "this day in history"...with a slight change in SOP... On Feb. 18, 1861, Jefferson Davis was sworn in as president of the Confederate States of America in Montgomery, AL. How many people asked to see his birth certificate to make sure he was born in this country?
On this date in 2001, Veteran FBI agent Robert Hanssen was arrested, accused of spying for Russia for more than 15 years. Hanssen pleaded guilty and is serving life in prison without parole. I highly recommend the movie Breach, which features Chris Cooper as Hanssen!
Here's my change in TDIH SOP. Sunday is the 6th anniversary of Hunter S. Thompson's suicide. I will never forget Hubby giving me the news; I was absolutely floored. This world is way less edgy and way less fun without him.
Let's get SPARKy! Did y'all hear the Loch Ness Monster might have some competition? For all of you that like that hot HOT food, here's your next challenge! AND, if Emory University decides to do this again, they can try some of the aforementioned peppers!! :D Finally, in SPARKYness from my corner of the world, it just makes me all warm & fuzzy inside to see businesses trying to take advantage of the $hitacular weather Indianapolis is FINALLY beginning to leave behind.
On with The Rachel Maddow Show!
"Thank Wisconsin It's Friday" - Our laws of unemployment & workers' comp law were born in Wisconsin. There are A LOT of towns in WI called "Union!" Citizens of WI died to fight for 8 - hour work days & to have Saturdays and Sundays off. 35% of workers were unionized in the 50s; it's 11.9% now. However, there's a HUGE difference between the number of private employees who are unionized VS public employees. AFSCME was born in Madison, WI in 1932! We need that picture again.
Rachel reviewed the FABOO information from last night concerning what exactly big money's trying to do in politics. All of corporate America is on the GOBP side. Unions are the only "big players" on the liberal side. Here's Tweety grilling a WI GOBP state Senator - what...an...a$$ - the Senator not Tweety! ;D All kinds of GOBP Governors - including mine - are trying to get rid of public sector employee unions. AND, it just so happens those states are making it more difficult for people to vote - including MINE! Again, only 1 Dem WI state Senator has to change his/her mind to collapse the whole thing.
"Each of Us is in a Secure Location" - WI state cops went to a Senator's home to try to find him today; the Dems are still out of state. State Senator Jon Erpenbach is back tonight from his not WI not warm not beach locale. :D It's not just "union people" showing up to protest anymore. Governor Walker's even racked up his anti - union rhetoric today, I guess.
Senator Erpenbach mentioned the GOBP Governor playbook again. Someone either here or some other thread mentioned News Corps' big 'ol donation to the Republican Governors' Association. Coincidence? Conspiracy?
"Revelation!!!!!" - Oh goody - Lonesome Rhodes & Obama - is - AntiChrist shtick again! The guy who wrote the Obama/AntiChrist stuff has been hired by FAUX News to compare what's going on in WI to what went on in Egypt. Holy $hit...
So, what's the Cheese Head version of a caliphate? ;D Where did Lonesome Rhodes get all them blackboards? I thought he just had the one!
"First Tunisia, Then Egypt, Now..." - There's partying going on in Egypt to celebrate Mubarak being gone, baby, gone! The scene is Bahrain is getting increasingly scary & violent. Things are getting rough in Libya today, too. At least 4 people have been killed in Yemen. Hell, there are protesters ALL OVER the Middle East & northern Africa! And, here's how Lonesome Rhodes is taking the news.
"GOP Poetry Slam" AKA "Word of the Day" - The House voted to end funding for Planned Parenthood, EPA enforcement, and a whole host of other issues; HOWEVER, they will go no where in the Senate. Paralepsis means making a point about something you say you're not going to make a point of - like saying, "I'm not comparing President Obama to Hitler, but..." The popular paralepsis today is about how the GOBP doesn't want a government shut - down. All the $hit in the House today may just result in a government shut - down!
Eugene Robinson's in da' house to discuss a non non - government shut - down. He thinks the sucker could actually happen because the GOBP in the House will drag this $hit out so long the Senate won't have time to review or pass anything. Dems have more room to maneuver than the scared - $hitless - of - the - tea baggers GOBP. They don't know much about history, yes? ;D
"On, Wisconsin" - 40,000 people were in Madison today; the "conservatives" begin to show up tomorrow. *&^%$#@! I hope said "visitors" eat a bunch of bad stinky cheese, get horrible tummy aches, and have terrible constipation! O...M...G... (not) Joe the (not) Plumber is going there, too?!