memeorandum: A Watershed Moment for Public-Sector Unions (Steven Greenhouse/New York Times)

1:20 PM ET, February 19, 2011

Top Items:

What's at Stake in Wisconsin's Budget Battle — Who's in charge of our political system—voters or unions? — This week President Obama was roundly criticized, even by many of his allies, for submitting a federal budget that actually increases our already crushing deficit.

Discussion: YID With LID, International Liberty, Da Techguy's Blog and Instapundit

Patrick McIlheran / Real Clear Politics:

FDR's Ghost Is Smiling on Wisconsin's Governor — Somewhere, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is grinning past his cigarette holder at Wisconsin's governor. They are on the same page regarding government unions. — Except that Scott Walker — Republican cheapskate, his visage Hitlerized …

Discussion: protein wisdom

New York Times:

Wisconsin Leads Way as Workers Fight State Cuts — The unrest in Wisconsin this week over Gov. Scott Walker's plan to cut the bargaining rights and benefits of public workers is spreading to other states. — Already, protests erupted in Ohio this week, where another newly elected Republican governor …

Discussion: L'Hôte, New York Times, Leiter Reports and The Daily Dish

Steven Greenhouse / New York Times:

A Watershed Moment for Public-Sector Unions — In the half century since Wisconsin became the first state to give its public workers the right to bargain collectively, government employee unions have mushroomed in size and power — so much so that they now account for more than half of the nation's union members.

Discussion: Right Turn and Sky Dancing

JSOnline:
Assembly's abrupt adjournment caps chaotic day in Capitol

Discussion: American Prospect, Washington Monthly, Pajamas Media, Hot Air and WTMJ

Patrik Jonsson / Christian Science Monitor:
Wisconsin protests: why ‘week of rage’ matters to rest of America

Discussion: Sky Dancing, Politics Daily, The Raw Story and Pajamas Media

First Read / msnbc.com:
First Thoughts: Upside down — How the protests in Wisconsin …

Discussion: Daily Kos and Balloon Juice

Scott / Power Line: Governor Walker meets the press

Russell Berman / The Hill:
Pelosi says she's ‘proud’ of Wisconsin Democrats who fled

Discussion: The Politico, CNN, Weasel Zippers, Hot Air and GayPatriot

Andy Kroll / Mother Jones:
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker: Funded by the Koch Bros.

Discussion: The Policy Page, ThinkProgress, TBogg, TPMDC, Daily Kos, Balloon Juice, Hit & Run, National Review, Democracy in America and Yglesias

Ezra Klein:
What is actually being proposed in Wisconsin?

Discussion: Questions and Observations, The Impolitic, National Review, Mother Jones, PostPartisan, JSOnline, Firedoglake, The Plum Line, Rortybomb, Gawker and The New Republic

Stephanie Mencimer / Mother Jones:
Wisconsin: Tea Partiers, Breitbart Coming To Fight Unions

Discussion: AFL-CIO NOW BLOG, JSOnline, ThinkProgress, Wonkette, Colorlines, Weigel and Guardian

Tobin Harshaw / Opinionator:
Cairo in the Midwest?

Discussion: The Week Magazine and The Huffington Post

Sarah Palin / Facebook:

Union Brothers and Sisters: Seize Opportunity to Show True Solidarity — The union-led school closures and demonstrations in Madison have left most ordinary Americans shaking their heads in disbelief. Months ago, I penned a message to my fellow union brothers and sisters when I found myself …

Discussion: Washington Times, Cubachi, Hot Air, Bloomberg, Conservatives4Palin and National Review

hrw.org:

Libya: Security Forces Kill 84 Over Three Days — (New York) - Government security forces have killed at least 84 people in three days of protests in several cities in Libya, Human Rights Watch said today, based on telephone interviews with local hospital staff and witnesses.

Discussion: FP Passport, Arabist.net and Outside the Beltway

BBC:

Libya protests: 84 killed in growing unrest, says HRW — Former UK envoy to Libya: “The most exciting question is what happens in Tripoli” (Footage from Libyan TV and amateur sources) — The number of people killed in three days of protests in Libya has risen to 84, according to the New York-based group Human Rights Watch.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, The Jawa Report, Newshoggers.com, Suburban Guerrilla and Libya February 17th

Guardian:
Libya protests: massacres reported as Gaddafi imposes news blackout

Discussion: Salon, msnbc.com and Libya February 17th

Anthony Shadid / New York Times:
Clashes in Libya Worsen as Army Crushes Dissent

Discussion: Al Jazeera Blogs, Pajamas Media, Salon, Outside the Beltway and Libya February 17th

David M. Herszenhorn / New York Times:

House Votes to Cut $60 Billion, Setting Up Budget Clash — WASHINGTON — The House early Saturday approved a huge package of spending cuts, slashing more than $60 billion from domestic programs, foreign aid, and even some military projects, as the new Republican majority made good on its pledge …

Discussion: The Politico, Wake up America, Washington Monthly and The Democratic Daily

Russell Berman / The Hill:
House rejects extra $22 billion in cuts that divided Republicans

Discussion: The Politico, Outside the Beltway, The Other McCain, Ace of Spades HQ, Patterico's Pontifications, Hot Air and CNN

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:
Conservative budget amendment fails House amid fissure among Republicans

Discussion: New York Times, Politics Daily and National Review

Aljazeera:

Protesters back in Bahrain centre — Anti-government protesters reoccupy Pearl roundabout after troops and police withdraw from protest site in capital. — [WARNING: This video contains images that some viewers may find disturbing] — Thousands of protesters have reoccupied …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Committee to Protect …, The Independent, Washington Post, The Page, Mother Jones and USA Today, more at Mediagazer »

CNN:
Protesters in Bahrain retake downtown square

Discussion: New York Times, New York Magazine and The Jawa Report

Steve Coll / New Yorker:

U.S.-TALIBAN TALKS — On August 22, 1998, Mullah Omar, the emir of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, made a cold call to the State Department. The United States had just lobbed cruise missiles at Al Qaeda camps in his nation. Omar got a mid-level diplomat on the line and spoke calmly.

Discussion: National Review, Daniel W. Drezner and Prairie Weather

John / Power Line:

Just Wondering — A reader asks a good question about news coverage of events in Wisconsin: … Heh. We all remember how liberal news coverage of tea party rallies rarely failed to note that they were “predominantly white.” Somehow, that is no longer a salient fact …

Discussion: Da Techguy's Blog, TigerHawk and GayPatriot

David Leonhardt / Economix:

Why Does College Cost So Much? — Robert B. Archibald and David H. Feldman are economists at the College of William & Mary, a public university in Virginia, and the authors of “Why Does College Cost So Much?” If you want the brief version, you could look at an op-ed article by the two economists …

Discussion: Marginal Revolution and The Reality-Based Community

Jeffrey Gettleman / New York Times:

Somali Pirates Hijack Yacht With American Couple — KAMPALA, Uganda — An American couple sailing across the Indian Ocean in a small yacht was captured by Somali pirates on Friday, maritime officials in East Africa said, and the pirates appeared to be taking the Americans back to the Somali shore.

Discussion: L.A. NOW, AOL News, New York Magazine and FrumForum

ABCNEWS:

Planned Parenthood Funding Voted Down — Amendment Passes Despite Stunning Personal Testimony From Rep. Jackie Speier — The House of Representatives Friday passed a measure to end federal funding for abortion provider Planned Parenthood a day after Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif. …