Archive for February, 2011
Posted by Flap in John Thune
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Thune has declined to pursue a bid for president next year. He is joined by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn
John Thune, although an up and comer in the national GOP is out as a Presidential contender in 2012.
John Thune isn’t running for president.
“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,” Thune said in a statement posted on his website today.
“I feel that I am best positioned to fight for America’s future here in the trenches of the United States Senate,” he said. Thune’s statement didn’t indicate who he might support in the 2012 presidential primary.
Thune had an afternoon conference call to speak with supporters, and he called top donors early Tuesday to inform them of his decision.
Thune, who beat Democratic Majority Leader Tom Daschle to win his Senate seat in 2004, has been thinking about a presidential bid for months — but his inquiries were tepid compared to other more organized candidates. Earlier this month, he was tapped to serve on the powerful Finance Committee — and with Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) set to retire next year, there is space for Thune to move up the ranks of the Senate leadership.
The South Dakotan had made clear in recent weeks that he lacked any burning desire to get on the campaign trail. “I like where I am,” Thune said in an interview with POLITICO earlier this month. “I like what I do. These committee assignments are obviously going to give me a full portfolio for the foreseeable future. … I’m in a place where I think I can make a difference.
Probably a smart choice where it is apparent that ANY race for the Republican nominee will be tough against the incumbent President Obama. And, besides his Senate responsibilities are not a bad day job.
Tags: John_Thune
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I guess the Wisconsin situation is contagious – the mockery of democracy and the American system of government, that is.
Seats on one side of the Indiana House were nearly empty today as House Democrats departed the the state rather than vote on anti-union legislation.
A source tells the Indianapolis Star that Democrats are headed to Illinois, though it was possible some also might go to Kentucky. They need to go to a state with a Democratic governor to avoid being taken into police custody and returned to Indiana.
The House was came into session twice this morning, with only three of the 40 Democrats present. Those were needed to make a motion, and a seconding motion, for any procedural steps Democrats would want to take to ensure Republicans don’t do anything official without quorum.
With only 58 legislators present, there was no quorum present to do business. The House needs 67 of its members to be present.
The issue is “Right to Work” Legislation and it is unclear whether Indiana GOP Governor Mitch Daniels supports the efforts of his own party to push the legislation forward.
Union supporters say the bill which has sparked the protests, House Bill 1468 such a measure would weaken bargaining power because companies under collective bargaining agreements would no longer have to hire union members. Supporters, including the state’s Chamber of Commerce, say it would makes Indiana more appealing to business and will bring jobs to the state.
Stay tuned……
Tags: Right_To_Work
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As tens of thousands of public employees skipped work last week to attend protest rallies outside the Wisconsin State Capitol, many wondered if they would face any disciplinary action for unexcused absences.
On Saturday, a group of men and women in lab coats purporting to be doctors were handing out medical excuse notes, without examining the ‘patients.’ You remember the Flap.
And, the Wisconsin Medical Society has criticized the doctors.
UW Health is investigating reports of doctors writing sick notes last weekend to excuse Capitol protesters from work, and the Wisconsin Medical Society has criticized the doctors’ actions.
“These charges are very serious,” a statement by UW Health said. “These UW Health physicians were acting on their own and without the knowledge or approval of UW Health.”
The Wisconsin Medical Society, the state’s largest doctors association, said it “does not condone these actions under any circumstances.”
The Wisconsin Medical Examining Board has received information about the events, the medical society said. Representatives from the state Department of Regulation and Licensing, which includes the medical board, could not be reached for comment.
The chances of the Wisconin Medical Board doing anything in a timely manner is remote. But, there will be some sort of an investigation and some physicians will get their wrists slapped.
State regulations ban doctors from “knowingly making any false statement, written or oral, in practicing under any license, with fraudulent intent.”
Dr. Lou Sanner, a family medicine physician at UW Health, told the Associated Press he was one of the doctors involved. He said he wrote hundreds of sick notes for protesters because they were suffering from stress.
“Some people think it’s a nod-and-a-wink thing but it’s not,” he said.
Several doctors reportedly joined Sanner, filling out formatted notes excusing protesters from work. The notes said each doctor “evaluated” each “patient.”
Dr. Tim Bartholow, a senior vice president of the medical society, said the doctors may have meant well but could end up harming physicians’ reputation.
“I’m sure they were acting out of conscience,” he said. “But our actions as professionals have got to earn the public trust.”
I certainly would not want any of these physicians treating me. But, the most these miscreants will receive will be a letter in a file and some public scorn, which if you are in private practice is probably not what you want.
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Updated: Video: Wisconsin Physicians Distribute Fraudulent Sick Notes to Protesting Public Employees
Video: Wisconsin Physicians Distribute Fraudulent Sick Notes to Protesting Public Employees
Tags: Scott Walker
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Well, it is now official, Richard Mourdock, Indiana’s Treasurer will be challenging long-time incumbent Senator Richard Lugar for the GOP nomination in May 2012.
The announcement speech is here.
Now, will Senator Lugar take the easy, face saving way out and retire?
Tags: Richard_Lugar, Richard_Mourdock
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Does anyone wonder why Chris Matthews and MSNBC have such low ratings? If Matthews who once was a speech writer for President Jimmy carter wants to spin to the LEFT at least get the facts straight.
The issue here is whether Wisconsin Governor is rewarding certain unions (the one’s that supported him in the last election) and punishing others that are primarily Democratic Party supporters. The answer IS that not too many unions, even the police and fire ones supported Governor Walker.
MSNBC’s Chris Matthews tried Monday to push the liberal media meme that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker exempted police and firefighters from his budget repair plan because their unions endorsed him in last November’s election.
“Well one more time you’re completely uninformed,” replied Republican State Senator Glenn Grothman who then proceeded to tell the facts to the obviously clueless “Hardball” host.
I guess Chris Matthews has an incompetent staff or wait for it…….they are BIASED.
Particularly since Governor Walker was on CBS stating the obvious:
But, if you don’t believe Governor Walker than there is the dfinitive answer – GOOGLE.
Or Politifact:
During the campaign last November, leaders of the Milwaukee Professional Firefighters Association and Milwaukee Police Association appeared in an ad supporting Walker and blasting his opponent, Democrat Tom Barrett. Walker also won endorsements from the West Allis Professional Police Association and the Wisconsin Troopers Association
Walker didn’t get the endorsements of two statewide unions, the Wisconsin Professional Police Association and the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin, which both backed Barrett.
For the record, the governor told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the charge that he was exempting police and firefighters was “ridiculous.” He said he didn’t recommend changing the rules for police officers and firefighters because he didn’t want public safety work disrupted.
We then contacted the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, the statewide union that endorsed Walker’s opponent last year. Executive director Jim Palmer said the statewide organization is much larger than the local Milwaukee police union that endorsed Walker. The state group has approximately 11,000 members versus Milwaukee’s roughly 1,400, he said.
Similarly, the state firefighters association has more than 3,000, compared with the Milwaukee union’s 875.
Nice try Chris Matthews and MSNBC but your facts smell as does your commentary.
Tags: Chris_Matthews, Glenn_Grothman, Scott Walker
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Day by Day by Chris Muir
Ewwww, Chris.
But, by the looks of things the protester turnout today in Wisconsin was fairly sparse.
The Wisconsin teachers’ union and the AFSCME encouraged public employees and their supporters to show up to two rallies today at the capitol in Madison, one at noon and the other at 5:00 p.m. The noon rally seemed a little sparse, and the 5:00 p.m. rally was even smaller. As you can see in this video, shot around 5:30 p.m. this evening, there couldn’t have been more than hundreds of protesters outside the capitol:
I guess it was cold outside because it is winter in Wisconsin and they were inside the state Capitol.
There are 5 million people in the state of Wisconsin, including 300,000 public employees. At the University of Wisconsin in Madison alone there are 42,000 students. A lot of public schools had the day off for Presidents’ Day, and the DNC and unions, including the Chicago teachers’ union, called for workers to show up in solidarity today. That’s the best they can do?
To be fair, inside the state capitol building was pretty crowded. One police officer told me that the max capacity for the capitol building is 9,000, and he estimated that there were more than 5,000 protesters inside the building. Still, 7,000 protesters in Madison is hardly Cairo in the Midwest.
Yet, the number of protesters on a holiday was not so much.
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The Day by Day Archive
Tags: Scott Walker
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These are my links for February 21st from 15:02 to 19:10:
Tags: #catcot, #tcot, #teaparty
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