These are my links for March 12th from 18:52 to 18:55:

• Wisconsin: The Left’s Second-Half Game Plan – Wisconsin’s Supreme Court – Second-Half Game Plan: Firedoglake’s David Dayen on the labor-Dem plans to fight back in Wisconsin after losing their battle with Gov Walker. The most intriguing wrinkle is the scheduled state Supreme Court election:

  The matchup between David Prosser (R) and JoAnn Kloppenberg (D) for the state Supreme Court on April 5 just got very interesting. It’s a statewide vote, and the balance of power on the state Supreme Court is at stake.  …. If Democrats win, the legality of what took place tonight [i.e. passing Walker's plan-ed.] may be put in greater question.

  Will Wisconsin voters feel comfortable turning a judicial election into, in effect, a referendum on a law Democrats don’t like? Will the other 3 Democratic-appointed Supreme Court judges play along with this slightly banana-republicy game?

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  I doubt the other Justices would vote in lockstep to get rid of a dem unpopular law.

  Do they not have the referendum in Wisconsin?

• President 2012: Mitch Daniels Showing More Signs of 2012 Run – There’s no doubt Indiana’s budget-cutting governor would be in a good position among Republican elites, among whom his fortunes have risen the most in recent months according to a recent poll. National Journal quotes one anonymous GOP political operative: "Increasingly seen as the anti-Obama — no flash and slogans, but real leadership and a plan.” Approval from party elites does not a primary winner make, but if the movers and shakers in the GOP throw him enough support, it could encourage Daniels to run.

  Signaling that he may indeed have national ambitions, Daniels is heading to D.C. this weekend, his third trip the nation’s capital in a month. Saturday night he’ll be speaking at the annual Gridiron Dinner as the Republican guest, joining his would-be opponent in 2012, Barack Obama. The next day, he’ll be appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, Daniels’s first Sunday morning talk show appearance outside of Fox News Sunday.

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  Perhaps but why not?

These are my links for March 9th from 16:52 to 16:52:

• Without Democrats Present, Wisconsin Senate Voting on Largely-Intact Budget Repair Bill – Update 7:33 p.m.: As I was writing this up, the state senate voted 18-1 to pass the bill described below.Update 7:38 p.m.: Wisconsin senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald confirms in a statement that the bill passed includes both the collective bargaining provisions and the requirements for state workers to pay more for their pensions and health insurance premiums:

  “Tonight, the Senate will be passing the items in the budget repair bill that we can, with the 19 members who actually DO show up and do their jobs.  Those items include the long-overdue reform of collective bargaining needed to help local governments absorb these budget cuts, and the 12 percent health care premium and 5 percent pension contribution.

  Original post here:

  According to Wisconsin GOP sources, the state senate is moving towards a vote tonight on the budget repair bill–without senate Democrats present.

  The legislation being voted on tonight has few changes from the bill as initially proposed. It would save just $30 million less than the original budget bill by stripping out a refinancing provision. But it would still save the state $300 million over the next two years by requiring state employees to contribute about 5% of income toward their pensions and by requiring state workers to pay for about 12% of their health insurance premiums. It would also save $1.44 billion by requiring public employees in school districts and municipalities to pay 5% of their salaries toward their pensions and by removing collective bargaining for benefits, thus giving school districts and municipalities the option of requiring their employees to pay about 12% for their health insurance premiums.

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  Hardball

These are my links for March 7th from 12:59 to 13:13:

• Wisconsin Gov Scott Walker: Democratic senator’s border meeting idea ‘ridiculous’ – – Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on Monday dismissed as "ridiculous" a letter from a Democratic state Senate leader who suggested a meeting "near the Wisconsin-Illinois border" to discuss the state's budget impasse.
  Sen. Mark Miller sent the letter to Walker on Monday, offering a border summit as a way to resume stalled negotiations on the state's budget.
  Miller and 13 other Democratic senators left Wisconsin for Illinois on February 17 to prevent a vote on a budget plan that includes limits on public bargaining.
  But Walker said top Republican lawmakers and even members of his own staff have already met repeatedly with some of senators, including one meeting over hot chocolate at a McDonald's restaurant. Walker said the talks seemed to be making progress and the Democrats' return seemed imminent
  "Time and time again, the person standing in the way of making that possible is Sen. Mark Miller," Walker said.

  ++++++

  The FLEEBAGGER's should return to Wisconsin and do what the taxpayers elected them to do – Represent and Vote.

• The LEFT Media Wants Sarah Palin Run For President – Most political observers are praying for Palin to enter the presidential race simply because, love her or hate her, Palin makes everything more exciting. However, this sort of thinking often comes with a pretty clear and cynical undertone, as many feel she is too polarizing a character, and that as Obama’s opponent, the sitting president will effortlessly sail towards a second term. Especially with established conservative power players like Karl Rove continuing to dismiss her as nothing more than a reality television star, it wouldn’t seem unlikely for even Palin to begin doubting her own abilities. Palin herself said she would only run for President “if there’s nobody else to do it, then of course I would.” I have arrived to tell you Sarah, there is nobody else who is planning to run that can be as universally inspiring to both the conservative and Tea Party movements, and no potential candidate who can combine your level of unpredictability with an ability to simply and directly communicate to the American people. But even more importantly though, Sarah — can I call you Sarah? — your time is now or never.

  The uninspiring cast of characters range from previous failed presidential contenders like Romney, Huckabee, Giuliani and Paul to charisma-free bores like Pawlenty and Daniels to “why even bother” candidates like Santorum and Bolton. So it should come as no surprise that Gingrich is a leading contender, because he at least is a “fresh” face to presidential politics and capable of occasionally being provocative. However, one problem underlying all of these candidates is that none of them can fire up a crowd like Obama. Palin can. Another problem is that none of those Republicans generate interest with every media interview like Obama always did as a candidate and continues to do as President. Can Palin generate generate interest with every media interview? Yes she can.

  The only Republican who can rival Palin in excitement is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and he has repeatedly stressed he is “not ready,” in other words, his chances for victory in 2016 are too hard to resist. And since Jeb Bush seems to be waiting for that time as well, Palin’s star will most certainly be eclipsed by then. The quest by Republicans to stop a second Obama term can be waged most dramatically by Palin and, dare I say, she might even be the only one to mount it successfully. However, it can only begin if and when she is convinced she should enter the race.

  Sarah, it is time to listen to your own advice. Don’t retreat, run for President.

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  Exactly why Sarah Palin will NOT run for President