Defend Wisconsin News Round Up

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Sunday, February 26, 2012

Dear Democratic Fundraisers and Rainmakers

Dear Democratic Fundraisers and Rainmakers:

My dear, dear Democratic Fundraisers and Rainmakers: Oh, wait! Is that an oxymoron? JK!

I love you! I love Democratic Fundraisers with my whole heart and soul. I don’t even have to work at it and I am not even being sarcastic, or ironic, or just plain evil. I love you even though you are giving me ulcers! YOU are the very best in the world and it is a privilege to know you and work with you!

Let me share with the entire blogosphere the minutes of our last Candidate Rainmaker Big Fundriaser Democratic Meeting (The BFD meeting).

I want those Republicans to understand the rich school teacher evil dastardly Machiavellian out of state hippy smelly tree hugging rich union thug (did I mention rich?) bastards they are dealing with.

Because this group is dangerous. Far more dangerous than anyone realizes. Far more dangerous than $350.00 wine.

Here are the minutes:

Vivian: “I propose that we have a “black tie” event and charge $1,000 for our next fundraiser!”

Everyone in unison: “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

Vivian: “$500.00?”

Everyone in unison: “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

Vivian: $100.00?”

Responses are shouted out:
“It cannot be done!”
“People cannot afford it!”
“There will be people that can’t come!”
“Someone will be left out!”
“Feelings will be hurt!”
“We’ve never made money before and we are not starting now!”

Vivian: “We can have a terrific pot-luck for everyone and even pay for the drinks at another time. But, for our fundraiser, let’s charge a LOT of money!”

Dave: “Settle down, Vivian. We are not Republicans.”

Others: “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Responses:
“WE cannot ever charge a lot of money for anything!
“WE are Democrats.”
“WE don’t believe in money! We would have an
identity crises!”
“WE cannot start on time, either!”

Vivian: “Then, how we will ever raise money for candidates and campaigns?”

(Everyone ignores this sincere question.)

More shouted reactions:
“Twenty-five dollars is too much. People cannot
afford it!”
“What about $20.00?”
“$20.00? Are you crazy? Who are you, Paul Ryan?”

(Audible gasp from Vivian)

Vivian (in tears now): “We have to charge $25.00 to make any money at all.”

Response from the floor:
“Too much!”
“$10.00 is reasonable.”
"Students will be free."
"People who cannot pay will be free!"

The treasurer reports that the meal costs $20.00 and most people nod and agree that losing $10.00 per person on a fundraiser is a great plan for rich evil smelly hippy union thug rich teacher municipal employee out-of-state (did I mention rich?)Democrats who actually live in Rock County, Wisconsin.

Shouted reactions to losing $10.00 on the next Democratic fundloser: “YES!”

(Vivian has passed out on the floor. Someone walks over her to get coffee—which is free at all Dem Party events.)

Vivian (revived—in a pleading voice): “This is a fundraiser. We HAVE to raise money to win elections. Walker & Ryan have Koch and every big corporation in the USA and the world behind them. What do we have? $10.00 fundlosers? People, people, people!

Everyone in unison: “YES! WE ARE THE PEOPLE!”

Once again, responses are shouted out:
“We aren’t Republicans!”
“We don’t leave anyone out!”
“We are a big tent party!”
“Money doesn’t define us!”
“WE ARE THE PEOPLE!”

Angela: “I will make it fashionable!”

Mike: “I will market it!”

Sam: “I’ll help!”

Wanda: "I'll be there. I'll donate!"

Ronnie: “I move that we charge $15.00 for our fundraiser.”

Bill: “I second it.”

Dave: “All in favor?”

Vivian: “Eiiiiyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!”

Friday, February 24, 2012

Dear Women Haters

Dear Republican Women Haters:

I am having such a hard time writing this love letter. Why, my heart is so overwhelmed by love that all I can do is cry and spit and splutter. I think I could write a book easier than I can write this letter.

But, I am verklempt! Just overcome by emotion. I love the unconsciously ignorant as well as the maliciously ignorant, and the intentionally ignorant and the simply malicious. And, their innocent followers!

I have a special love for followers of the mean, stupid, and crazy. It’s an odd mixture of amazement, pity, awe, wonder, pity, bewilderment… pity.

You have guessed it by now. Yes, it is time to discuss “female trouble.”

Men cannot imagine how women feel about the Woman Hater’s excessive, one might even say obsessive, interest in our private parts! You seem to care so much—and know so very little—about women’s reproductive health!

And, you have such peculiar ways of showing how much you care! I would think any way of expressing your concern at all, except legislation, would work—flowers, poetry, cash… But, panels made up of all men? Men who are not obstetricians or gynecologists or poets or philosophers, or great scientists, or neonatologists. Hmmm. Not working for me!

It’s not me—it’s you. It's over between us. Get. Out. Of. My. Life. Hope I didn’t hurt your feelings!

I might be impressed by your devoted interest in my and your mother’s nether regions—if I didn’t talk to so many men who don’t know how old their children are. Well, and if the “dead-beat dad” rate wasn’t so high. And… there is the child abuse issue. And…how many men have ever been to an Ob/Gyn appointment with their…girl friend? Or, their mother? Thought I was going to say “wife” didn’t you!?! Gotcha!

Do you even know the definitions to these terms: amenorrhea, anovulation,dysmenorrheal,dyspareunia, leucorrhea,menorrhagia, metrorrhagia,metrorrhagia, oligomenorrhea, or oligo-ovulation?

Your mother, daughter, and female partner have probably experienced one—or, if older—all of these conditions. And, she needs health care, not political care. In fact, your mother called me the other day and…

If she doesn’t have insurance, she needs Planned Parenthood or another form of free clinic. Because no one except the 1% can afford health care these days.

BTW, none of these conditions have anything to do with contraception, birth control, abortion or you.

Every time we enter the deep dark recesses of the woman-hating male psyche and how they feel about their mothers and religion and reproduction and bodily processes and sex and women’s reproductive organs, and bodily fluids and…we just get into a Goddess-awful mess. So, I am going to simplify things!

Let’s make it all much simpler my entering the, shall we say, at least partially more visible arena of men’s reproductive organs and straighten this whole mess out!

I love equality and I have the solution of the entire mess! Let’s just make everything equal!

No more dealing with those nasty body parts and yucky bodily processes and other disgusting things like reproduction.

(And, oh my God, if you think that watching a video of a baby being born is disgusting, you should have to watch a video of conception! Now, that would stop teenagers from even thinking about sex until they’re 40!)

Yes, let’s stop reproductive health care coverage for men and be done with it all for everyone!

No more vasectomies! Because, I am a Pagan woman doctor and I am religiously opposed to vasectomies. I won’t perform them and I shouldn’t have to pay for others to have them through my insurance premiums. Hell, no!

No more screenings for prostate cancer for men. That’s disgusting and I don’t believe in it—that kind of behavior can lead to homosexuality and it is against MY religion. The prostate is a male reproductive organ and should not be covered by insurance I pay for!

No more treatment for urinary tract infections in men—we all know where the urinary tract is in men—or maybe we don’t because we don’t believe in sex education—and, I am a Goddess worshipping female doctor who does not believe that particular piece of the anatomy in men should be touched for any reason except pleasure—or covered by health care insurance.

Since I believe that sexual intercourse is only for the purpose of pleasure and not for procreation, I refuse to have MY money spent on male infertility screenings or treatments. That violates MY religious freedoms. I believe that the Goddess gives you the exact number of children She wants you to have. If you have slow swimmers, then just swallow the pill like a man--so to speak.

Treatment for “jock itch” covered by health insurance? Now, you’re just messin’ with me. Suck it up, buttercup. Bad metaphor, but you get the point.

Honestly, it is against MY religion for men to be sissies and go to the doctor for every little whine. If your not bleeding, vomiting, or on fire, chill!

No more cystoscopes—and, you will thank me for that!

If your boys get caught in a wringer—ouchie. But, hey man, that’s a reproductive organ and we don’t cover reproductive care for men or women any more. That could lead to wild and crazy sex. I am pretty sure Rick Santorum agrees.

And, if your Lorena runs amok, so sorry but insurance doesn’t cover reproductive care any more. How many times do I have to repeat that? I am pretty sure that not having…not having…reattachment surgery will save money in the long run anyway because you won’t hmmm…need contraception or have the high cost of rearing children to worry about. Just put a couple of aspirin...between your knees and call me in the morning.

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Literally.

It is my religious belief that men should just overcome all life’s pain by will-power. Like women do. We have so much to teach. Take a Lamaze class like real women do and just breathe your way through life’s difficulties.

Here’s the deal. Women are the 51%. We brought male politicians into the world and we can take them out—in the voting booth.

Reproductive care is health care. It is far more than the birth control pill. It is science. It is complicated. Physicians actually go to school to learn that s@#$. They don’t get to make it up as they go—as politicians do.

Reproductive health care is personal, private, and easily misunderstood. I see no evidence that politicians, the Church, insurance companies, nor employers know anything about it.

The public is being lied to by Republican conservative right-wing politicians. One example: Prenatal testing is about far more than planning for an abortion. Think about it! Think about all of the changes in care for babies of mothers who are Rh factor negative with Rh factor positive fathers in our own life time.

Health care is between an individual and a doctor. It is not the business of politicians. It is not the business of insurance companies. It is not the business of employers. It is not the business of any church—certainly not one that a patient doesn’t even belong to.

We are not going back 100 years.

Everyone is welcome to practice h/er own religion—but, do not attempt to legislate your religion.

If your religious group is in the health care and insurance business, it might find itself having to follow the rules of the business world—and, not just the religious world.

If you are a health care provider and you cannot make a commitment to provide services to your patients according to their beliefs and practices, then I don’t think you need to be providing services to the general public. You need to be providing services to your religious group only.

Many, if not most, towns in our country do not have more than one hospital. Some small towns have only one clinic. Many have only one specialist in any given field. I am sure there are towns with only one doctor at all.

The idea that there is any “free market” in health care is a joke. We all know that we are lucky if we have any insurance at all and if we do, our employer probably chose it for us. We don't have a choice about whether we have Catholic providers or not.

The general public deserves to receive the latest and best scientific based medical care—not medical care based on the private religious beliefs of any practitioner.

Politicians, churches, insurance companies, and employers—get out of our bedrooms and the examining room and allow us access to the latest and best medical care. Health care is about far more than sex.

But, although this was fun to write, I am not kidding myself. I don’t really think this latest "attack on women" has anything to do with religion, contraception, sex, woman hating, etc. for the big money people and corporations at the top.

It always has to do with money. There is no other factor. The money people just want to keep the “base” (AKA "the little people")fired up about something. Really, do the Koch brothers and Walker’s and Ryan’s donors care about my nether regions? Don’t think so.

It might not hurt to save insurance companies some money by cheating women out of reproductive health care—in the short term. Ten children later? Not so clear.

But, it always helps to rile up the little people, rile up the right-wing, rile up the pro-life single issue voters, and it always gives the Republicans a boost!

Single issue voters--you are the best thing that ever happened to Republicans! And, I love you! I really, really do!

Good grief, this could just morph into another letter—or a book!

Your friend,

Vivian

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Dear Paul

Dear Paul,

I love you. I really, really do—in that detached Zen-like way that keeps me from squishing earthworms.

It hurt to kiss you goodbye on Valentine’s Day—it really, really did.

Oh, don’t misunderstand me. Saying goodbye to you didn’t hurt! That felt like a day at a spa...or a day at the beach…or inheriting $10 million from someone I never met…or meeting President Obama in person and kissing…oh, never mind. You get the point.

It was kissing you that hurt. That’s a figure of speech—I didn’t really kiss you. It was the thought of kissing you that hurt. Hope I didn’t hurt your feelings!

Dear Paul. Darling Paul. Sweetheart. I will speak for myself and the entire Congressional District 1. Hope they don't mind!

We have had a very immature, youthful (callow—really, now that I think about it) childish romance with you that was fueled by an infatuation with wealth, privilege, and the mere proximity to power. Hmmmm...nope, cannot think of anything else.

We had dreams of going to the prom with you. Laughing at inside jokes at our social events with all the super cool Janesville Jet Set—hereafter known as the JJS. Dreams of defending the 1%--which would include “our” best friends. Going to “Cabo” and never adding the “San Lucas” just to show how cool we are. A lifetime membership at the “club.” Never needing to say which club. Skiing at that place in France and using the term “Euro trash” just to prove that we are so cool we are hot… 15% tax rates…

But, we out grew you. You became an embarrassment. It’s over. Bye, now. I speak for all of us in the CD 1. We are kissing you goodbye. I mean this in the nicest way possible.

I don’t want to hurt your feelings—but, when other people went into the Peace Corp, you came home to your mother!?! Tell me this isn’t true? Why didn’t you do something heroic, Paul? Not to mention the excessive mother-son thingy. Not attractive at all.

And, well, I have a secret yen for independent stand on your own two feet people to represent me. And, for a Republican you are a slacker! I have scoured your bio looking for some evidence that you have ever had a real job. I have heard that you waited tables once. Is it true? I see no evidence that you have ever done anything else except…oh, dear, I almost used a profanity that involves newborns and feeding and mothers!

Well! I see no evidence that you have done anything except work for your family and politicians!

Looking at you bio, I cannot even tell what was an internship, a part-time job, or what was a full-time job.

You have been on the government dole for…how many years? 16? Or is it 18? Dude, you’ve got 3 children! Get a real job! That’s what all the Republicans shout at me every time I go to a protest—"Get a real job!" And, I would like to help you do that. I really, really would!

Maybe you don’t need a real job because you have a trust fund. Just speculating. Don’t know. You are just awfully old to have never had a real job. 15% tax rate? Hmmm?

I really have nothing against wealthy politicians. I really, really don’t. As long as they have a sense of responsibility and a sense of our great country being a community. Well, really, I like for them to have some sense, too.

So, we began drifting apart when you didn’t do something heroic—like the Peace Corps. Came home to Mama. Didn’t get a Real Job in the Real World like you Republicans harp about the entire live-long day. At least, I’m not seeing it in your bio. Hmmm?

But, I also haven’t seen any sign of you ever getting out of your box, Paul—and, it is a very well-padded, privileged, comfy, well-connected box. Isn’t it?

Did you go back-packing through Europe? Ah-ha! Service trips to South America? Spend a year in Appalachia—my favorite!?! Live in another country? Dig wells in Africa?

I just hate Xenophobia, don't you?

Did you ever have an apartment in South Beloit or inner city Milwaukee? Ever been poor? Ever lived on your own income? Ever lived on $30.00/year? Ever gone without healthcare for…oh, say…10 years or so? Ever driven a beater? Or, not had a car? Ever been without dental care for…hmmm…10 years or so? Ever had a tooth pulled because you couldn’t afford to have it repaired? Do you know how much every little bit of health care costs? How much a poor family of 5 pays for groceries?

Would you give me your insurance—I need it?

So, I don’t know you intimately, but I doubt you have spent very much time out of your box. I find that...well, not very sexy.

And, this is hard to say and even harder to hear. But, you did not meet my needs intellectually. Ayn Rand? Really? Do you know what that says about you? Did you know that brands you as having the moral and intellectual development of…oh…say a teenager? It says that you suffer from grandiosity, a lack of empathy, a lack of depth and wisdom, a lack of a sense of community… Oh, dear! You don't get out of your box, do you? Or you would keep that a secret!

Hope I didn’t hurt your feelings! You’re young! You can grow. I recommend you read the Bible. The New Testament. The words of Jesus. Read them slowly. Buddhism is great, too. Really, the world’s religions say pretty much the same thing. And, you won’t find it in Ayn Rand’s books.

Do unto others...Paul... Do you want your mother and grandmother without healthcare?

Do you know what happens to people who don’t have health insurance? They don’t get health care. And, they die.

Social Security is an insurance program bought and paid for by the American people.

Notice served: You are not going to screw with Social Security or Medicare.

Hope I didn’t hurt your feelings! I hate breaking up—don’t you?

But, I am kissing you goodbye, sweetheart!

Your friend,

Vivian

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Why Voting is Important!

The Recalls have been completed and the trolls abound with their concern over their people not being Recalled correctly....How dare anyone challenge their people? Why did we vote or not vote last time? Did we vote for change? Or should we vote for really important issues?

Lawrence (The Last Word) discusses the importance of voting for the right reasons and that is for the power that directs the debate and how that debate may determine your future. My neighbor has worked for American Airlines for well over 20+ years and courtesy of the reorganization of American Airline in a structured Bankruptcy may lose retirement benefits. Who is watching out for her? More recently the FAA legislation that dis-empowers Unions further and helps the likes of Bain to Raid Pensions easier. Those who voted in this new breed of Republican need to decide what is important...Pensions, Social Security, Medicare, Badger Care, Jobs....Why did the likes of Ron Johnson replace Russ Feingold as our Senator and then do nothing for Wisconsin except block key appointments and legislation put forth by the President. Those appointments determine your future..."SuperPacs" were determined because Al Gore's election was stolen and now we need tons of cash to offset the Republican Greed that seems to be apparent at every level of government.

My question to you...Can WE THE PEOPLE generate the votes we need without SuperPac influences? Can WE THE PEOPLE hold their noses for an election cycle and then correct the error that Citizens United created and then make changes in the US Senate to assure majority vote and not Super Majority votes to get the business done that directly affects you and me.

Russ Feingold is against the SuperPac of the President and, in principle; I would agree with Russ on this. On the other hand it is the current Law of the Land. And although in my mind this is not ethical even though it is law; I believe when one goes into battle one does not use fists when the other side is bringing in chains and tire irons.

Voting matters and winning matters. It is time to evaluate and debate. Will money interest take over completely or will it be necessary to fight back with the new tools available and then push back the ridiculous Corporate Personhood after the fight is won?

Lastly---How does this statement about Voting Importance from Lawrence apply to SuperPacs? It has to do with your vote and will it be counted, coerced or suppressed? Will you keep an open mind when SuperPacs dominate the election scene? Watch the Video and then Decide.
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-last-word/46231295#46231295

Other Links:
Just in from Robert Reich:

Monday, February 6, 2012

Always VERIFY!

Yup, you read this screen-shot right. Apparently the "Democratic Party of Rock County assn. DNC" supports Walker and have posted such on a pro-Walker website and Facebook
(https://www.facebook.com/WeStandwithWalker/posts/251467304931594)

HOWEVER ... the rest of the story is that this Facebook group is, in no way, associated with the REAL Democratic Party of Wisconsin or of Rock County nor the authentic DNC.

ALWAYS be CAREFUL when you associate with questionable sites that pop-up on Facebook for - it seems - more and more pages with malicious intent appear every day. Beware and do NOT send membership funds through any site that cannot be verified by your local or state Democratic members.