02.23.11 -- 8:46PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (5)

Out Of Line?

Federal district judge rules that Attorney General Eric Holder violated Justice Department policy with public remarks about a terror sting case in Portland -- but that the statements were not intended to affect the outcome of the case. DOJ tells TPM's Ryan Reilly that Holder's remarks "struck a proper balance."

--David Kurtz

02.23.11 -- 5:15PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (19)

Reporting From Madison

Our reporter on the scene files his report from Gov. Walker's just concluded press conference. It had a ... well, rather loud conclusion.

--Josh Marshall

02.23.11 -- 3:50PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (90)

The Big Disconnect

From the beginning of the Wisconsin situation one thing that's been clear from almost all the national media is that it's a tough spot for the public employees unions because the public at large doesn't like unions. Especially public employees unions. Only now there are a string of polls out -- particularly yesterday's Gallup poll -- which show that that's simply not true. The nation at large overwhelmingly opposes banning collective bargaining rights for public employees (61% - 33%).

Read more »

--Josh Marshall

02.23.11 -- 3:31PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (37)

Canned

That Deputy Attorney General in Indiana who said it was time to use "live ammunition" on the protestors in Wisconsin is "is no longer employed" by the Attorney General's office.

Important to note that while fool's politics would seem to be pretty straightforward. He was in a career position. So this was not a political appointee.

--Josh Marshall

02.23.11 -- 12:22PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (8)

Hiring: Associate Editor (DC)

TPM is announcing a job opening for an Associate Editor working from our Washington, DC bureau. Details here.

--Josh Marshall

02.23.11 -- 12:10PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (48)

Punk'd

Gov. Walker's office confirms he was pranked by blogger impersonating Walker-backer "David Koch".

--Josh Marshall

02.23.11 -- 12:07PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (53)

Breaking

Obama decides DOMA is unconstitutional and orders Justice Department to stop defending it in court.

--David Kurtz

02.23.11 -- 11:31AM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (12)

Beyond Self-Parody

Deputy Attorney General in Indiana says it's time to use "live ammunition" on protestors in Wisconsin.

--Josh Marshall

02.23.11 -- 10:18AM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (24)

What It's About

Russ Feingold to TPM: "This is not about the budget at all this is about trying to destroy people's right to collectively bargain."

--David Kurtz

02.22.11 -- 11:25PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (21)

On the Ground in Madison

Our reporter on the ground in Madison files his first dispatch.

--Josh Marshall

02.22.11 -- 8:22PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (32)

Fireside Chat

Did you see Gov. Walker's "fireside chat"? Watch the vid after the jump. Here's our write up, including Walker's claim that the protests are being driven by outside agitators.

Read more »

--Josh Marshall

02.22.11 -- 7:57PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (39)

Breaking: Fed Judge Upholds HCR Bill

Another federal judge upholds the Health Care Reform bill, says arguments for unconstitutionality "ignore reality."

--Josh Marshall

02.22.11 -- 6:14PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (51)

ALERT!

Gov. Walker's "fireside chat" begins at 7PM eastern.

Live Blogging ...

7:04 PM: Now we're on to why he has to "reform collective bargaining".

7:06 PM: The gist so far is that he's not really willing to talk about the only issue on the table -- collective bargaining. Most of the time so far is complaining that the unions won't accept the cuts they've already accepted.

7:08 PM: Walker's new line is that the crowds are made up of outside agitators.

7:09 PM: Now it's the threat to fire thousands of state workers if the Dems don't agree to end collective bargaining for public employees

7:13 PM: Now watching the Dem response. This guy's making a lot of sense but the lighting makes me wonder whether he's being held hostage.

--Josh Marshall

02.22.11 -- 6:09PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (13)

Messier and Messier

Santorum says Wisconsin protestors are like drug addicts.

--Josh Marshall

02.22.11 -- 5:58PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (20)

A Godzilla v. Mothra Moment

When I was a little kid I used to like watching battles between boffo lizard monsters like Godzilla and Mothra. I was into Rollerball too. Now that I'm older I have more refined tastes. But it's the same basic pattern -- two cartoonish clowns doing battle and the only problem is you don't know who to root for because they're both so ridiculous. Here's Foxbot Gretchen Carlson going head to head with some guy the Fox bookers found named Anjem Choudary, some goof from the UK who wants to hold a protest in front of the White House to call for the establishment of Sharia Law in the United States. Watch.

--Josh Marshall

02.22.11 -- 4:34PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (82)

Excellent News for Gov. Walker!

Inspired by the commanding position staked out by Gov. Walker (R) of Wisconsin, Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) of Indiana has asked Republican legislators in his state to drop a "right to work" law which prompted state Dems to leave the state this morning in an effort to stymie passage.

Also getting on the Walker bandwagon is Florida's new right-wing Gov. Rick Scott who just announced today that he thinks it's a bad idea to strip collective bargaining rights for state workers.

--Josh Marshall

02.22.11 -- 3:09PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (50)

Bad News for Walker

Do Wisconsin voters support eliminating public sector unions' collective bargaining rights?

That AFL-CIO sponsored poll released this morning suggested that Gov. Walker (R) was definitely on the wrong side of public opinion in the state. But that's a poll sponsored by one of the players in the fight. But now there's a nationwide poll out from USAToday/Gallup that says that 61% of Americans oppose the kind of attacks on public employees unions that Walker is putting. That's nationwide. Frankly, I'm a bit surprised it's that high, though I would have expected it to be in the majority.

But I think we now have a growing body of evidence that using short-term budget crises to effectively ban public sector unions is not good politics.

As I said, I don't think this is going well for Walker.

--Josh Marshall

02.22.11 -- 2:40PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (29)

Kleefeld in the House!

Okay, TPM Reporter Eric Kleefeld, traveling alone, has now crossed the municipal border and successfully entered Madison, Wisconsin. Government forces made no effort to bar him. So it is on. Click here to retweet this twitter notification of Eric's arrival and do your part to contribute to mounting Kleefeld-mania in the state.

--Josh Marshall

02.22.11 -- 2:12PM // RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (56)

Bamboozlement

I keep hearing the sensible people on CNN and MSNBC talking about a $3 billion budget shortfall that Gov. Walker needs to close with his budget "repair bill". But that's not even true. That's a projection for the next two year budget period which starts this summer. It's actually a significant difference. Because what they're fighting about now is how to fix a dramatically smaller shortfall for the period up until the next budget period. Relatively short span of time. But a big difference since that $3 billion number has nothing to do what's being voted on now. I'd be obliged if people could send me time and name when you see folks on these quality news networks repeating this false claim of the governor's.

--Josh Marshall