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Poll: Americans oppose weaker unions — MADISON, Wis. — Americans strongly oppose laws taking away the collective bargaining power of public employee unions, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. The poll found 61% would oppose a law in their state similar to such a proposal in Wisconsin …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Politics Daily, Gallup, Washington Monthly, TalkLeft, TPMDC, Talking Points Memo, Hot Air, No More Mister Nice Blog, Ben Smith's Blog, Weigel, The Plum Line, The Atlantic Online, Harry's Place, Outside the Beltway, USA Today, The Hill, Gawker, Prairie Weather, AFL-CIO NOW BLOG, Daily Kos, New York Magazine and JSOnline
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Is Scott Walker Cutting Off Internet Access To Thwart Protesters? — Our guest blogger is Mike Elk, a freelance labor journalist and third generation union organizer based in Washington, D.C. You can follow him for more updates on Wisconsin on twitter at @MikeElk.
Discussion:
Defend Wisconsin and Daily Kos

What Did Walker Campaign On? — Last night, I heard on Fox News from Stephen Hayes that Wisconsin governor Scott Walker had run on a platform to end collective bargaining rights for public sector unions. I can find no evidence of this in the public record.
Discussion:
The Plum Line, The Moderate Voice, Balloon Juice, The New Republic and Firedoglake


Pro-union website blocked in Wisconsin state Capitol
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Page, The Raw Story and rubber hose

Wonkbook: Are Republicans overreaching? Or just negotiating effectively?
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, AOL News, The Foundry, Wall Street Journal and The Daily Dish

Gov. Rick Scott says state shouldn't move to take away collective bargaining rights
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog

Government pensions, an obesity epidemic
Discussion:
Yglesias, Hot Air and National Review

Florida Governor Rick Scott Gives Thumbs Up To Public Worker Organizing
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Hullabaloo

Why do unions care about Medicaid?
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, The New Republic and Mother Jones


Democrats trigger Statehouse showdown over anti-union legislation — House Democrats are leaving the state rather than vote on anti-union legislation, The Indianapolis Star has learned. — A source said Democrats are headed to Illinois, though it was possible some also might go to Kentucky.
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South Bend Tribune, The Plum Line, The Hill, National Review, Wall Street Journal, Cubachi, Firedoglake, Taegan Goddard's …, TPMDC, USA Today, Pajamas Media, theblogprof, The Raw Story, Boehner, Big Government, Weigel, iOwnTheWorld.com, Nice Deb, The Politico, Questions and Observations, NUVO Newsweekly, Washington Monthly, Washington Post, New York Magazine, Salon, Runnin' Scared, Indecision Forever, AOL News, FrumForum, Daily Kos, AFL-CIO NOW BLOG, Liberty Pundits Blog, Hotline On Call, Gawker, WisPolitics Budget Blog, Fox News, Outside the Beltway and The Page
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3:40 PM — Governor says time to dump labor bill — Gov. Mitch Daniels signaled this afternoon that Republicans should drop the right-to-work bill that has brought the Indiana House to a standstill for two days and imperiled other measures. — Daniels told reporters this afternoon …
Discussion:
The Hill, protein wisdom, Outside the Beltway, AFL-CIO NOW BLOG and Daily Kos

Mitch Daniels: Indiana Republicans Should Drop the Right to Work Bill — Color me extremely disappointed with Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels right now: … If the Indiana House Democrats get what they want through this tactic, what's to prevent them from using it again and again every time they think they'll lose on a big issue?
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, AOL News, AmSpecBlog, Cubachi and Riehl World View

Madison, Indiana? — At what point does the decision …
Discussion:
Sister Toldjah, Common Sense Political Thought, Ben Smith's Blog and Pajamas Media

Indiana House Democrats leave state, Wisconsin style
Discussion:
The TrogloPundit and USA Today

Indiana Dems AWOL, Mitch Daniels wants GOPers to abandon labor bill
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin and The Gateway Pundit

› - Statement from John and Kimberley Thune — For months now, my wife Kimberley and I have received encouragement from family, friends, colleagues, and supporters from across South Dakota and the country to run for the presidency of the United States.
Discussion:
The Politico, The Fix, Liberty Pundits Blog, Cubachi, Conservatives4Palin, Right Turn, Weigel, USA Today, Washington Monthly, The Hill, The Note, GOP 12, Firedoglake, Frontloading HQ, Real Clear Politics, The Caucus, Fire Andrea Mitchell!, Power Line, New York Magazine, The American Independent, The Right Sphere, Gawker and Wonkette


Sarah Palin Has Secret ‘Lou Sarah’ Facebook Account To Praise Other Sarah Palin Facebook Account — Sarah Palin has apparently created a second Facebook account with her Gmail address so that this fake “Lou Sarah” person can praise the other Sarah Palin on Facebook.
Discussion:
TPM LiveWire, Taegan Goddard's …, Outside the Beltway, The Daily Dish, AOL News and Politics Daily
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Ex-aide's book paints harsh portrait of Sarah Palin — A new memoir from an embittered former aide to Sarah Palin includes a trove of emails that vividly illustrate her intense focus on image and depiction in the media. — The emails, apparently from the former Alaska governor …
Discussion:
The Daily Dish, Ben Smith's Blog, Indecision Forever, Salon, Hot Air, New York Magazine, The Other McCain and White House Dossier


Live Blog - Libya Feb 22 — on February 22nd, 2011. — Alleged mercenaries deployed by Gaddafi in Tripoli, the Libyan capital. — As the uprising in Libya enters its ninth day, we keep you updated on the developing situation from our headquarters in Doha, Qatar.
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Gaddafi's Next Move: Sabotage Oil and Sow Chaos?
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Weasel Zippers, Little Green Footballs and Libya February 17th

The U.S. Can Help Libyans Defeat Gadhafi
Discussion:
Pajamas Media, The Enterprise Blog and Right Turn


Harry Reid: ‘The time has come for us to outlaw prostitution’ — Left: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2011. Right: Northern Nevada brothel owner Dennis Hof tries to battle threats to his industry on Tuesday in Carson City.
Discussion:
LewRockwell.com Blog
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Harry Reid spending bill exposes deep divide with John Boehner
Discussion:
The Note, CNN and The Democratic Daily

Reid urges Nevada to outlaw prostitution
Discussion:
The Atlantic Online and Booman Tribune

4 Americans on hijacked yacht dead off Somalia — U.S. Navy warship shadowing seized vessel takes action after gunshots are heard; 4 hostages apparently killed by captors, some pirates dead — The four Americans aboard a yacht hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia are dead.


Madison Labor Group Prepares For General Strike — Group Says It Needs To Educate Public First — MADISON, Wis. — If Gov. Scott Walker and Republican legislators pass a union bill that restricts collective bargaining rights, some labor groups in Madison said they would endorse the entire …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and Hot Air
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Madison Area AFL CIO Votes to Prepare For General Strike
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Firedoglake, Weigel and blue cheddar


BREAKING PHOTOS!! Wisconsin “Fleebagger” Spotted In Illinois UPDATE: Police Called To “Fleebag” Hotel — Spotted in the wild, south of the Illinois-Wisconsin border! — More details coming. — UPDATE: Is this Chris Larson? — UPDATE: We are receiving reports that the police …
Discussion:
The “Badger 14”, The Gateway Pundit, Badger Blogger, The Daily Caller and Riehl World View
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The church lady says the WI protesters are a Bizarro Tea Party
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway

Are Wisconsin Public Employees Underpaid? — Ezra Klein and a variety of other thoughtful liberal bloggers have been pointing to an Economic Policy Institute analysis that they claim demonstrates that Wisconsin's public employees, even after adjusting for benefits and hours worked, face a …
Discussion:
The Enterprise Blog, National Review, PostPartisan, Sky Dancing and alicublog
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Two-Thirds of Wisconsin Public-School 8th Graders Can't Read Proficiently—Despite Highest Per Pupil Spending in Midwest — (CNSNews.com) - Two-thirds of the eighth graders in Wisconsin public schools cannot read proficiently according to the U.S. Department of Education …


It's the Inequality, Stupid — Post Comment — HOW RICH ARE THE SUPERRICH? … WINNERS TAKE ALL — The superrich have grabbed the bulk of the past three decades' gains. — OUT OF BALANCE
Discussion:
Guardian, Balloon Juice, Ezra Klein, Hullabaloo, Mother Jones and Joe. My. God.


Tea party may fight GOP over Lee's seat — Tea party activists, slumbering since last fall's gubernatorial election, may be awakening and ready to challenge the Republican process for choosing a successor to Christopher J. Lee in the 26th Congressional District.
Discussion:
The Politico, Ballot Box, CNN, RedState and Scripting News

Online Poll - Drawing Arrest … - HOT TOPICS - Carmelo Trade - Boy Arrested Over Drawing - Find Low Gas Prices - Libya Violence - E-470 Crash - ‘Heaven Is Real’
Discussion:
Hit & Run, JONATHAN TURLEY, LewRockwell.com Blog, The Jawa Report, Pajamas Media and Don Surber