This Just In ...

Recommended Reading (05/26/12)

Posted by Kevin Fischer on May 26, 2012

Recommended Reading

Here are, in my view, interesting, noteworthy columns and articles from the past week that I highly recommend (You will note that on occasion, I do not endorse the opinions of the author and may point that out. Despite my disagreements, I still feel the piece is worth a read).


On, Wisconsin

“The Wisconsin recall is a farce — a childish, union-sponsored tantrum that will cost the state’s taxpayers an estimated $18 million. Perhaps the greatest irony is that Democrats rarely discuss its ostensible cause: collective bargaining. Tom Barrett, the mayor of Milwaukee who is seeking to replace Walker, did not use the phrase in the speech he gave celebrating his victory in the Democratic primary earlier this month.”


The Wisconsin turning point

"The recall election for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is scheduled for June 5. That election is now a crucial battleground for the future of America, and even a critical bellwether for how this fall's elections will turn out. Walker is staring down the national political machine of government workers unions, and the entire Obama campaign. This is a Paul Revere moment for all conservatives across America. The future of your country is at stake. Walker needs your support now."


Has the recall made Scott Walker stronger?

"Democrats leapt at the chance to use Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to send a message to all the budget-cutting, union-busting conservatives across the land: If you mess with Big Labor, there’s a heavy price to pay. And with Walker suddenly looking as if he might survive the recall, it appears he’s only been grazed. 

Now, instead of tacking Walker’s pelt to their door as a warning to any who would follow him, there’s a prospect the whole thing might backfire by elevating Walker into a tested-by-fire, conservative cult-hero and exposing the limits of the Democrats’ ability to exact revenge in the next statehouse where they’re wronged."


Unions not happy with lack of support in Wisconsin

"How can you tell that Republicans have the edge in the recall election in Wisconsin, with just ten days to go? Democrats and unions are already trying to lay blame for a failure...union leaders are angry at the DNC and White House for not getting involved in the election, essentially leaving Big Labor twisting in the wind in their biggest political fight in years. They’re warning that unions might repay the abandonment later this year."


Walker's reforms: good policy, good politics

"Take Milwaukee, where Barrett is the mayor. Even he has acknowledged that the reforms in Act 10, Walker’s early 2011 budget-repair bill, enabled his city government to balance its budget. Walker’s cuts in state aid to the city cost it $14 million, but it was able to come up with $30 million in savings, of which two-thirds came from the budget-repair law. The law required employees to pay a larger share of their insurance premiums, and it also made it easier for the city of Milwaukee to switch to more cost-efficient health-insurance plans."


The top 20 reasons to vote for Barack Obama in 2012...

"According to liberals."


Undecided? About what?

"Pundits and pollsters call them 'independents,' 'undecideds,' or 'swing voters.' To the rest of us they are, to put it gently, seriously naive. The vast majority of Americans know very well whom they’re voting for in November. They don’t need $2 billion worth of campaign ads to decide, because they’re aware that when it comes to the presidency we’re electing a political philosophy, not a person."


Why they serve

"While my son's life was relatively short, I spend every day marveling at his courage and wisdom. Before his second and final combat deployment, Travis said he wanted to go back to Iraq in order to spare a less-experienced Marine from going in his place. His words—'If not me, then who . . . '—continue to inspire me."


Every day needs to be Memorial Day

"We shouldn’t need a holiday to thank a vet. We shouldn’t need a designated time throughout the year to remember them. We shouldn’t allow pop culture to replace our history, traditions, and gratitude towards our past and present service members. We should be reminded of their sacrifices, daily."


Remembering 2012 by Charlie Daniels

“I want to remember the families who have had to face up to the fact that the empty place at the dinner table will never be filled and the empty place in their hearts will be there all their lives, and I will marvel at the kind of strength and courage it takes to pull through such a tragedy.”


Kids with cell phones: Record your socialist teachers!

"...I think parents should tell their progeny each day before they send them off to school, “Now, honey, when Ms. Smith starts saying psycho stuff and threatening you with prison if you don't madly love on Obama, it is okay for you to record her and then upload this mess to YouTube. Don’t be afraid of these bullies. Don’t punch ‘em in the nose but instead punch record..."


Mom was right: Go outside

"... American children between the ages of 8 and 18 currently spend more than four hours a day interacting with technology. As a result, there's no longer time for nature: From 2006 to 2010, the percentage of young children regularly engaging in outdoor recreation fell by roughly 15 percentage points."


Stage set for Driver's exit from Green Bay

“It goes without saying that no one wants to see Driver kicked to the NFL curb at age 37. If there is such a thing as a first-ballot candidate for the Packers Hall of Fame, he’s it.

The problem is…”


AND FINALLY,


The Obama Value Meal