News Roundup for 3/4/11

Try to remember the good times, Republicans...

-Headline of the day-
"Are Wisconsin Republicans preparing to break with Walker?"

Both the Wall Street Journal and an NBC affiliate in La Crosse, Wisconsin are reporting that some Republicans in that state's senate are starting to waver in their unquestioning, zombie-like support of Gov Walker's union busting budget plan. WSJ reports the GOP "are getting nervous that three Republican state senators may defect," while WEAU says "four moderate Republicans are wavering and could break with the GOP and vote against Walker's budget repair bill." The dem/GOP split in that chamber is 14-19, so two are enough to stall it and three would be enough to kill it.

Nononononono! says Wisconsin senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald. They're all on the same page. And look, they all held a "unity" press conference to prove it. All the GOP senators were there -- that is, if you don't count Dale Schultz, who everyone knows is the most likely to bail on the whole idea. He skipped it, which is something you totally shouldn't read anything into.

See? They're all standing together on this -- except for that one guy who isn't.

Now all we need is another... (Plum Line)


-Cartoon time with Mark Fiore-
Hey kids, don't like broccoli? Make mom cut it from the budget in the name of "fiscal responsibility!"


Click for animation

Of course, if you cut everything that's good for you, you'll get sick and die... But you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, right? (MarkFiore.com)


-Adventures in Bass-Ackward-Land-
Jon Stewart examines the concept of "shared sacrifice" in budget balancing.



So, to sum up; teachers are fabulously well-to-do and Wall Street bankers are impoverished.

And people wonder why I tell them to steer clear of TV news. (Comedy Central)