CNN:

In the canon of political cliches, "it all comes down to turnout" is among the most tired.

But in the case of the polarizing and closely watched Wisconsin recall election, the maxim happens to ring true.

Public polling, internal polling and campaign strategists all tell the same story: Republican Gov. Scott Walker is clinging to a tiny lead over his Democratic opponent, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, heading into Tuesday's vote.

And the number of undecided voters has dwindled to almost zero, strategists in both parties say, meaning that the only mission left for both sides is to get their rabid supporters to the polls.

If just the one million people who signed the Walker recall petition get themselves to the polls today, Wisconsin will be free of Scott Walker once and for all.

"Contrary to what those in power would like you to believe so that you'll give up your pension, cut your wages, and settle for the life your great-grandparents had, America is not broke. Not by a long shot. The country is awash in wealth and cash. It's just that it's not in your hands. It has been transferred, in the greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks and the portfolios of the uber-rich." -- Michael Moore

How they did it, and how Wisconsin taught us to fight back, at:

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/america-is-not-broke

Good morning! Today is Tuesday, June 5, 2012. It's time to take your state back, Wisconsin!

Find out where to vote. Get Info for Same-Day Voter Registration Here.

A plan heavily favored by Republican leaders to cut 8 percent of the Pentagon’s budget effective January 2nd now has them scrambling to undo their own handiwork. The effects the military will undergo as a result of the 10-year, $600 billion round of cuts remains unclear, but Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and other legislators have said that the belt-tightening measures, which will rein the defense budget back down to its 2007 level, would force the military to make choices that will effect local communities. “The soft underbelly that I’m trying to exploit is, ‘What does this mean to your state?’” Graham told reporters.

With the first round of cuts starting with the 2013 budget -- which begins on October 1st -- Republicans are warning that the defense cuts could be disastrous. Leading Democrats don't seem to be showing them any mercy, either.

Via:

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, has given no indication that he will undo the cuts without a broader deficit reduction deal that would include revenue increases — and no such negotiations are under way.

Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said Republicans were given the choice during the debt ceiling negotiations between automatic defense cuts or automatic tax increases in the event that the so-called supercommittee failed to reach a deficit deal. They chose the defense cuts.

“The consistent pattern here is they have chosen to defend special interest tax breaks over defense spending,” Mr. Van Hollen said. “They made that choice.”

.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is echoing the same dire warnings as the Republicans, especially since the administration has already agreed that the Pentagon will contribute around $450 billion in deficit reduction over the next decade. "Tack on $600 billion more and the impact will be debilitating," Pentagon officials say:

Via:

Congress has already been warned that the automatic spending cuts early next year — especially from the Pentagon — could help trigger another recession.

But the $1.2 trillion ax to defense and domestic spending might trigger something else: an election loss.
...
One study showed that deep defense cuts would cost 1 million jobs nationwide — hitting heavily in California, Virginia and Florida.

Lindsay Graham of South Carolina has been warning his state, which thrives on Pentagon spending, of the impending defense cuts. It seems he may be weakening when it comes to raising taxes...

Via:

For now, Democrats and Republicans are waiting for the other side to blink. And the pressure may be working. Mr. Graham said the sentiment for raising revenues by closing tax loopholes or imposing higher fees on items like federal oil leases is expanding in his party.

Asked about the “no new taxes” pledge almost all Republicans have signed, he shrugged: “I’ve crossed the Rubicon on that.”

This video is part of a five-part "How to Film Protests" series, which incorporates the best practices Witness has developed with over 300 partners in 80 countries who are using video for human rights documentation and to create lasting change.

From raw documentation of human rights violations in Syria to the Occupy protests and the range of police abuse and misconduct therein, citizen video is an increasingly powerful tool for human rights documentation.

Now more than ever we need to ensure that the footage that we capture as activists incorporates essential information like the exact date, time and location so it may best be used by the media, as evidence, and for advocacy. Additionally, we need to pay special attention to the unique safety and security risks that we face as filmmakers and activists, as well as risks to those we capture in our footage.

For more info, go here.

THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD is a true story about two political activists who, posing as top executives of giant corporations, make their way into big business conferences and pull off the world's most outrageous pranks.

This peer-to-peer special edition features never before seen footage of the Yes Men imitating the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and has been released under a free-to-share license.

Written, Directed and Produced by .......... Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno
Co-Director ........................................ Kurt Engfehr
Special Appearance .............................. Reggie Watts
Editor ............................................... April Merl
Additional Editing ............................... Johnny Burke
Animation .......................................... Patrick Lichty
Original Music .................................... Neel Murgai and Noisola

Please show your support and help The Yes Men fund upcoming projects by donating at: http://vodo.net/yesmen

Occupy Wall Street didn't just go to sleep on November 17th and wake up on May 1st. Since its triumphant trek across the Brooklyn Bridge, the movement has been marching, occupying, organizing—and training. Warm-ups at Zuccotti Park each Friday beginning in late March culminated in marches through the Financial District, where demonstrators kept the police on their toes.

This tongue-in-cheek '80s montage, produced by Waging Nonviolence, commemorates the run-up to May Day. Next up: : Summer Disobedience School.

Filmmakers: Waging Nonviolence

Video streaming by Ustream

From Occupy DC: Police just threw homeowners trying to get her mortgage adjusted thrown out of Chase Bank.

DOWNLOADS: (155)

PLAYS: (331)

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As our friends over at Raw Story noted this weekend, Rachel Maddow took the House Republicans to task for continuing to pretend that they care about job creation in America, when apparently all they're willing to vote on is one abortion restricting bill after another to drum up their base for the next election.

Maddow blasts GOP for talking about jobs while legislating against women:

In an unusually blunt and plain-spoken segment on Friday night’s “The Rachel Maddow Show,” host Rachel Maddow tore into Republicans for claiming that they care about jobs numbers when all they actually do on Capitol Hill is try to pass more and more laws restricting abortion, even when they know those bills are doomed to fail.

Thursday saw the release of disappointing jobs numbers, which has been a blow to the Obama administration. Republicans seized on the news and responded with a PR blitz, criticizing President Barack Obama and his economic policies.

A closer look at the numbers, however, shows that the jobs being lost are government and other public sector jobs, losses that are coming about as a result of Republican austerity programs and budget cuts. The very drop in jobs numbers that the GOP is decrying is a result of its own policies, said Maddow.

And yet, for all their talk about jobs, their only consistent legislative focus has been anti-abortion legislation.

As they noted in their post, Republicans knew the legislation would likely fail, but they wanted to make Democrats vote on it anyway. Maddow wrapped her commentary with this:

This bill, Republican leadership conceded, would probably fail as well, but, said Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), “I think we’re doing the right thing strategically” by forcing Democrats to vote against it.

“So, we know it will fail,” said Maddow, “but we like making Democrats vote on abortion anyway. It just feels good. Also, it passes the time! Jobs, jobs, jobs!”

Continue reading »

Defeat Scott Walker on Tuesday, June 5th:

This is it. This is history. After months of historic division, job loss, criminal corruption and partisan power grabs, Tom Barrett offers Wisconsin a new start.

Walker's sleazy money can't vote, and it's clear that the people of Wisconsin will take the opportunity with a leader like Tom Barrett to give Wisconsin a new start at healing our great state and beginning the long job of repairing the devastation wrought by 17 months of irresponsible rule.

Watch for updates on Twitter here.