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Livestreaming Michigan 'Right to Work' Protest in Lansing



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Update: 7:45pm EST: Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has reportedly signed the controversial bill banning mandatory union membership Tuesday night. As anger escalated among the estimated 10,000 protesters in Lansing, police donning riot gear arrived with pepper spray, which was used on at least one activist. Police also arrested two demonstrators, and surrounded the Romney State Office Building.

A few photos, and I'll have much more later...

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Civil disobedience inside the Capitol rotunda earlier Tuesday.

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"Owned by Dick DeVos"

Update 9:20am:

Michigan Avenue, now...

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Update 9am EST:

Snyder, GOP leaders to unveil right-to-work legislation plans at 11 am.

Inside the Capitol...

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An amazing crowd in Lansing right now, as the march to the State Capitol building is about to begin! I'm sure there are thousands, but I sure couldn't make a guess from here in the heart of it all beyond that. So many people from outside Michigan here to stand with us in solidarity -- it's truly touching -- thank-you all! A few notes before I'm off:

For anyone wishing to donate pizza to everyone protesting at the Michigan Capitol building, please contact Cottage Inn Pizza at (517) 267-9000 and they will see to it that your order is donated to the hungry, winter warriors.

Email from Progress Michigan (517-999-3646):

"We’re opening our office as a pit stop during the rally tomorrow. If you’re in town, join us at 115 W. Allegan, Floor 7 (above the Biggby), to get warm, grab some hot cocoa, recharge your phone, log onto free WI-FI, and make a quick bathroom break."

Details on the day's events here.

Will update either here on via Twitter @DianeSweet whenever possible.



Scott Walker Gets Grilled Over Auto Bailout Lies

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Moments after Paul Ryan's speech Wednesday night, Republican Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin got into a fiesty and heated exchange with the MSNBC panel. Walker defended Ryan's false claim that Obama failed to save a Wisconsin auto plant, and even appeared to claim that for Wisconsin workers, the Obama administration's auto bailout hasn't been a success.

The problem with Ryan blasting Obama for the closure of the Wisconsin General Motors plant is that the plant actually closed under George W. Bush.

Ryan said, "Right there at that plant, candidate Obama said, 'I believe that if our government is there to support you … this plant will be here for another hundred years.' That’s what he said in 2008."

"Well, as it turned out, that plant didn't last another year," Ryan continued. "It is locked up and empty to this day. And that’s how it is in so many towns today, where the recovery that was promised is nowhere in sight."

In June 2008, Ryan sent a letter along with his Wisconsin colleagues Senators Russ Feingold (D) and Herb Kohl (D) protesting the closure of General Motors plant in Janesville, Wisconsin.

“We ask that you reconsider the decision to close the Janesville GM plant and request a meeting with you as soon as possible to discuss OM’s plans for the Janesville plant, including the possibility of retooling the plant for different production lines,” said the letter from the three lawmakers to GM CEO Rick Wagoner.

Ryan actually voted for a Bush-era effort to expand government loans to GM, a plan that failed to save the Janesville plant.

In 2008, Ryan supported the Bush loans that Romney infamously opposed in an editorial titled “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt.”

Scott Walker was apparently trying to assist the Romney-Ryan campaign's efforts to re-write history, but as you can guess, Rachel, Ed, Al and company didn't let him off the hook.

Maddow kept her cool as she spoke to Walker, "It is surprising to hear you run down the American auto industry at a moment that it really has come back and to see such a bright spot in the economy, you talked as if things haven't worked out in the auto industry since the bailout," she said. "It's a surprise."

Schultz wasn't having any of it, and broke in hitting back at Walker's claims. "It was not Barack Obama's economic policies that closed that GM plant," he insisted. "That plant was closed in December 2008. That's in the Washington Post right now Governor. It has nothing to do with Barack Obama's economic policy whatsoever. You can't get away from that fact."

Walker smugly repeated the tired "managed bankruptcy would have been more effective" meme and Schultz quickly snapped back that Walker could not guarantee the plant would still be operating under that strategy.

Al Sharpton tried to enter the fray, but Walker retorted, "If you want to talk over and not let me talk that's fine. Apparently that's what you do a lot of."

If there weren't so much at stake this November for so many people, this would all be quite the comedy. *Sigh.*



The Overpass Light Brigade Strikes Again

waronwomen

They really make freedom of speech look great!



Nuns on the Bus Visit the Overpass Light Brigade

Nuns on the Bus Visit the Overpass Light Brigade from Occupy Riverwest on Vimeo.

The Nuns on the Bus (Catholic Sisters on a national tour, traveling the country to raise awareness of the devastating effects austerity legislation has on the working poor) came out to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to visit the Overpass Light Brigade, who celebrated the occasion with a new message in honor of nuns' efforts.



Can We Talk About Gun Violence Now?

Stop Gun Violence from Occupy Riverwest on Vimeo.

The recent mass shootings in Aurora, Colorado, and Oak Creek, Wisconsin receive a lot of media attention but 86 Americans die to gun violence in our country everyday. To shed more attention on this glaring and difficult statistic, the Overpass Light Brigade decided to bring "STOP GUN VIOLENCE" to a Wisconsin bridge over I-94 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.



Walker's Wisconsin- Worst in Nation for Jobs

Walker's Wisconsin- Worst in Nation for Jobs from Occupy Riverwest on Vimeo.

Wisconsin's June jobs report came out and it appears the state shed 12,000 more jobs again placing it last in the nation for job growth. On this unfortunate news the Overpass Light Brigade made sure to report it to Wisconsin drivers over I-43 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.



'Scotty, We're Coming for You'

Scotty, We're Coming for You from Occupy Riverwest on Vimeo.

Now that makes a statement! A governor who has a criminal defense fund, destroys workers' rights, slashes 800 million from public education in favor of tax breaks for the rich, and divides a state more than deserves the title of "Governor Crappy".



Raise The Minimum Wage

Raise The Minimum Wage from Occupy Riverwest on Vimeo.

With the current minimum wage ($7.25) providing its lowest ever purchasing power, the Overpass Light Brigade decided to take a "RAISE THE MIN. WAGE" message to Wisconsin drivers over I-43 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.



Occupy All Streets

Occupy All Streets from Occupy Riverwest on Vimeo.

The Overpass Light Brigade in Madison, Wisconsin and The Illuminators in New York City used the People's Bandwith to deliver an "OCCUPY ALL STREETS" message.



The REAL Reason Wisconsin Failed To Recall Scott Walker

[Language may not be suitable for work.]

Okay, I've had a few days to process that insanity in Wisconsin, and here's my calm and collected analysis... without all that much calm and very little collectedness. Here's your Moment of Clarity #147.

More at LeeCamp.net