On Sunday morning Chris welcomes Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein, authors of It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided with the New Politics of Extremism, for their long-awaited first time discussing the controversial book on a national Sunday news program. Also, we'll talk about the upcoming recall election between Republican Governor Scott Walker and his challenger Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and discuss Florida's attempts to purge voters from registration lists.
Joining Chris will be:
Michael Steele (@Steele_Michael), MSNBC analyst and former Republican National Committee chairman.
Michelle Bernard (@MichelleBernard), MSNBC political analyst and president of the Bernard Center for Women, Politics & Public Policy.
Ari Berman (@ariberman), political correspondent for The Nation.
Randi Weingarten (@rweingarten), president of the American Federation of Teachers.
Bob Herbert (@BobHerbert), distinguished senior fellow at Demos.org.
John Nichols (@nicholsuprising), Washington D.C. correspondent for The Nation.
Judith Browne-Dianis (@jbrownedianis), co-director of The Advancement Project.
:: Blogged by Brett Brownell (@brettbrownell), Up w/ Chris Hayes web & video producer ::
Leave a Comment:
This looks like a good lineup. I'm reading the Mann/Ornstein book right now, and it's well worth devoting the entire show to it. We're at a crossroads in the country, and we need to seriouly make the right choice.
Gonna set my alarm to get up on time for this.
Shamefully, I don't know Norman Ormstein. His was the best synopsis of our current political situation ever stated, except for having left out how the money ties in.
It was a reaction to the race call from Michelle Bernard, which was also completely accurate. It just inspired the old guy to speak, and not in disagreement, but regrettably without including the money connections for us to know. We know many of the puppeteers, just not who are the most corrupt puppets? I guess they know they have strength in numbers, like speeders on the freeway.
I was disheartened to see Chris have to create a do over of last weeks memorial show, which I found to be honest, open and more honoring of the dead than anything I have seen in my entire life. All the more reason to discuss the cliff we are heading over as a country and planet on sunday. the MIC and the elite that make all the money off of it have become a dragon swallowing its tail. No More Wars, no more robbery, no more raping of the planet, no more brain washing, In the age of occupy, it will change and must swiftly. btw enjoyed col. jacobs anger.
Ch, you do a damn fine show. Who else, I wonder, could host
same for 2 very long hours? Bravos.
Regarding the Saturday show discussion about public disengagement from the military - one way to get the vast majority of people in the country more engaged with the military and the wars being waged would be to require that all military activities, declared or undeclared wars and the like be done on a pay as you go basis instead of the unfinanced basis that exists today. If surtaxes to pay for military activities were automatically invoked the public would be much more aware of and affected by what is going on. In effect they would have to share the pain, at least economically and that would make them more interested and engaged in what is happening and in ending those military activities sooner.
So dispirited to hear Chris apologize for his compassionate well-articulated reflection on the word "hero". Up w/Chris Hayes is a rare oasis of intelligence in a sea of ignorant and reflexive public debate. Please stay strong. The courage to speak with complex nuance needs to be protected!!!
Mr Milwaukee, couldn't have said it better. Watch him every Sat & Sun and still Chris's show is too short. Would love to see him modify a debate this fall.
So dispirited to hear Chris apologize for his compassionate well-articulated reflection on the word "hero".
I agree with you. In a nation that constantly prides herself on having freedom of speech nobody should (be pressured to) apologise for speaking their mind. I am pretty disappointed with Mr Hayes for having given in to the pressure.
If you discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict again, please consider this story:
‘Do you feel more Arab or more American?’: Two women’s story of being detained and interrogated at Ben Gurion
Some excerpts:
Little did I know that my father’s Arab name would make me guilty until proven innocent. A “few moments” would turn into a 14-hour nightmare at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
“Okay, we are going to do something very interesting now!” [The interrogator's] face transformed from a harsh stare to a slight smirk. She proceeded to type [the Gmail URL] on her computer and then turned the keyboard toward me. “Log in,” she demanded.
I typed in my username and password in complete disbelief. She began her invasive search: “Israel,” “Palestine,” “West Bank,” “International Solidarity Movement.”
She sifted through my inbox, reading every single email with those keywords. She read sentences out loud to her colleague, sarcastically reenacting and mocking old Google Chat conversations between Sasha and me about our future trip to Jerusalem. I squirmed in my seat.
After reading several more emails, they wrote down every contact name, email, and phone number they could find. Finally, the interrogator said, “Okay you can go.” But before I could even feel the slightest sense of relief she added, “Good luck getting into Israel.”
After our pictures were taken, we officially felt like criminals.
We had not committed any crime. Our only sin was being born to Arab parents.
After they had gone through every one of our belongings, they proceeded to the body search. [...] They scanned my body with a metal detector, and it beeped at the button on my jeans. “Take off your pants,” said the older officer immediately.
They took all of our luggage and our phones and drove us about five minutes away from the airport to a gated, white building. All of the windows had double bars on them, and none of the doors had doorknobs. We walked through the dark halls and passed by open rooms filled with bunk beds.
At 6:15, a guard came and told us that the US embassy was phoning for us. My parents had called them from Virginia after our two-minute conversation to inform them of what was happening. Sasha answered the phone. “Oh, thank God, we’ve been trying to get in touch with you! This is Sasha. We’ve been through a lot the past few hours.”
“As I told your friend’s parents yesterday, there is really nothing we can do. I’m just glad that you’re going to be able to get on the next flight.” the woman said dispassionately.
“This is ridiculous. They went through my friend’s email. Is that legal?”
“Well, they can do whatever they want. There is nothing we can do. They are their own country, and they make their own rules.”
“I can’t believe we are funding this system. I understand the special relationship between America and Israel, but there is clearly something wrong with the way we are being treated”.
If we were two American citizens in a Syrian or Iranian “facility,” would the American embassy’s reaction be the same? Would Obama himself not have made a statement by now, demanding our release?
[source: Mondoweiss]
Israel is watching out for Israel. No big deal, they were inconvenienced a little.
Israel is watching out for Israel. No big deal, they were inconvenienced a little.
I am not in the least surprised that you, as a right-winger, have no problem with the discrimination against and harassment of people who are different from you. Therefore, it probably won't change your mind to hear that this was not an isolated case. Stuff like this happens in Israel every single day.
From Mondoweiss article "US Embassy to American in trouble in Israel: ‘You’re not Jewish? Then we can’t do anything to help you’":
"Sandra Tamari, a Quaker, mother of two, and member of the St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee, was detained at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport last week and aggressively questioned for over eight hours before being taken to a detention center and deported back to the United States. During questioning, Israeli security demanded she open her personal email account and accused her of being a terrorist. Requesting help from the US Embassy, Tamari - a US citizen - was immediately asked if she is Jewish. When told that she was Palestinian, Tamari was advised they could do nothing for her. 'I found it curious that the first question the U.S. Embassy staff asked me is, 'Are you Jewish?' It gave me the impression that the support they could provide to me was based on my answer. When I told the Embassy that I was a Palestinian American with family in the West Bank, they told me they could do nothing to help me. Has the U.S. adopted Israel's racial and religious profiling tactics to discriminate against Arabs and Muslims?'"
Also, the Palestinians who live in the Palestinian territories experience harassment by Israelis on a daily basis:
From Mondoweiss article "Restraint":
"Farmers are afraid to approach their fields along the border, but they have no choice but to get their wheat. Barber showed us a video of a dozen people harvesting wheat by hand as Israeli soldiers on a hillock at a fence 300 yards away fire guns in the harvesters' direction, harassing them. A brave international volunteer for the International Solidarity Movement wearing a red fluorescent vest rises above the stands of wheat and uses a microphone to say over and over, 'These are farmers on their own land. They are only harvesting their wheat.' [...] Why are the Palestinians harvesting by hand? Because when they bring tractors, they get shot up. So they use machetes."
"Under Oslo, Gaza fishermen were to have 20 miles to fish. But they have been limited to three miles by Israeli warships that harass them with fire. [...] The Israelis shot up [a captain's] boat engine, destroying it. He is saying that the 5 men on his boat were fishing with handlines at 2-and-a-half miles when they were attacked and the engine was destroyed. He is saying it will cost 20,000 shekels ($5,000) to replace the engine. But these men make 5 to 10 shekels a day fishing. So now he can't go out. And a total of 50 people depend on the men who go fishing in his boat."
From Mondoweiss article "Palestinians evicted from homes in Jerusalem to make way for settlers’ biblical theme park":
"Since contracted by the government six years ago, the Elad Association built the biblical theme park by employing the Absentee Property Laws. The 1950 statute served as a clearinghouse to allow throwing Palestinians from their homes and replacing them with tourist attractions. But just weeks ago a wrench was thrown into the expropriation process when an Israeli court confirmed the settler group relied on false affidavits to carry out the evictions."
From Mondoweiss article "Major olive producing village ordered to uproot 1,400 trees by May 1":
"Earlier this week, Israel ordered Palestinian farmers in Deir Istiya, a major West Bank olive producing village, to uproot 1,400 trees by the end of this month. By comparison, this order is 400 more trees than the total number uprooted in all of 2011. [...] The orders [...] state that if the farmers do not uproot their trees they will face punishment which could, according to Deir Istiya mayor Nazmi Salman include large fines and imprisonment."
It's high time that the MSM start reporting on these things. If this happened in any other country, the USA would certainly invade this country in order to topple the government instead of funding the regime by giving it $3 billion per year. Double standards!
Israel is surrounded by millions of Arab fruitcakes that live for one reason, to exterminate every Israeli on the planet. Israel has every right to mess with the heads of so called Palestinians. They are the enemy.
btw If those things were to happen in the US, I wouldn't have much of a problem with it.
Israel is surrounded by millions of Arab fruitcakes that live for one reason, to exterminate every Israeli on the planet.
No. They merely want to end the Zionist regime and its occupation of the Palestinian territories. That's not at all the same as extinguishing the population of a country.
Israel has every right to mess with the heads of so called Palestinians.
No. Israel can't just ignore human rights and civil rights.
They are the enemy.
No. They are the victims of Israeli occupation.
If those things were to happen in the US, I wouldn't have much of a problem with it.
So, you are a fan of ethnic nationalism? Then you live in the wrong country, my dear. As Condi Rice wrote in her book: "[T]he very concept of 'American' rejects ethnic or religious definitions of citizenship."
The territories belong to Israel. Israel will never relinquish those territories because it will give the so called Palestinians a huge military advantage. You're not that naive to think if Israel gave up those territories the Palestinians would turn into meek little peace loving doves do you?
No. Israel can't just ignore human rights and civil rights.
Yes they can, and they do.............all they want!!
The territories belong to Israel.
No, they don't. The Zios are land grabbers.
Yes they can, and they do.............all they want!!
That's the problem! Nobody stops them.
Yes the Zios are land grabbers and they grabbed the land and are going to keep it.
Possession is 9 points of the law.
Being a woman I should think you'd be down on Palestinians and their ilk given the way they treat women.
Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. International law trumps national law.
I see. Instead of practising "pinkwashing", you take the approach of "feminist washing". Nice try. Such diversionary tactics don't work anymore. Actually, they have counter-productive effects, because they make people even angrier at Israel. Committing human rights violations is one thing, but additionally trying to distract from them by demonising others - that's a whole new level of evilness. By the way, the Israeli government pays people to spread Zionist propaganda ("hasbara") online. How pathetic is that.
Here's an excerpt from a NYC Queers Against Israeli Apartheid! press release regarding "pinkwashing":
"Israel is trying to repair its horrible human rights profile by painting itself as a gay mecca," said Brad Taylor of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid. "But having some gay clubs in Tel Aviv doesn't make Israel a democracy. Israel builds separate roads for Jews and Arabs, separate schools, separate neighborhoods. Your rights to work, travel, marry, etc. -- they all depend on whether or not you're Palestinian. It's apartheid, whether you're gay or straight."
"The Israeli government's 'Brand Israel' PR campaign tries to sell a twisted message: Israel supports gay rights, so you must support Israel -- you can't oppose Israeli violence against Palestinians. What a disgusting abuse of the LGBT community! So much of the LGBT community is absolutely outraged at the Israeli government," said Emmaia Gelman of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid.
You can apply the same logic to "feminist washing". Palestine isn't as progressive as Israel regarding the treatment of women. However, this doesn't excuse or justify Israel's denial of basic human rights and civil rights to Palestinians. Women's rights and Palestinians' rights are two completely separate issues. Israel has to grant both groups equal rights, not just one of them. I can condemn Israel for not treating Palestinians equally, while at the same time condemning Palestinians for not treating women equally. As I've already told you before: I don't (dis)like any country, but there are things that I (dis)like about a country. Blind and unconditional solidarity with a country is very dangerous. Don't stand by a country. Stand by your principles.
By the way, the Israeli government pays people to spread Zionist propaganda ("hasbara") online. How pathetic is that.
Sure they do, and the Koch brothers pay me to post rightie propaganda.
NYC Queers Against Israeli Apartheid!
LOL
Palestine isn't as progressive as Israel regarding the treatment of women.
You've got to be kidding. You talk like treating women like humans is something that has to evolve over a period of time, so let's give them a break.
In that part of the world Arabs hate Jews and Jews hate Arabs. Neither trust each other. There's no way in hell that they will ever get along.
You talk like treating women like humans is something that has to evolve over a period of time, so let's give them a break.
Nope. As I said, these are two separate issues. You talk as if treating Palestinians like animals were totally justified.
In that part of the world Arabs hate Jews and Jews hate Arabs.
If one of Germany's neighbouring countries owned over 200 nuclear weapons without having signed the NPT, controlled all of my country's borders, airspace and coastline, stole more and more of our land, evicted more and more of my people from their homes, kept destroying our homes, factories, vehicles and harvest, constantly hindered my people in their work, regularly harassed, detained or shot peaceful people for no reason, then I would be pissed off, too.
There's no way in hell that they will ever get along.
Certainly not if Israel keeps acting like this. Yesterday, Mondoweiss ran these headlines:
"In May, Israel approved 4,300 new settlement units, uprooted 1,024 olive trees, demolished 37 buildings, and arrested 240 Palestinians."
"Palestinian families forced to demolish their own homes"
Nope. As I said, these are two separate issues. You talk as if treating Palestinians like animals were totally justified.
The Palestinians have been lobbing rockets into Israel for years and not at military targets. Israel has the right to defend herself.
Now don't get me wrong. IMHO I think going after civilian targets is one way to punish the enemy. That is the name of the game.
The Palestinians want Israel's land mostly because it would give them more of a military advantage than they have now.
The Palestinians have been lobbing rockets into Israel for years and not at military targets. Israel has the right to defend herself.
You totally distort reality. It's the Palestinians, who have the right to defend themselves from occupiers and land grabbers.
I think going after civilian targets is one way to punish the enemy.
I know that you are okay with this. And you should already know that I disapprove of any kind of violence.
The Palestinians want Israel's land mostly because it would give them more of a military advantage than they have now.
No, no. The Palestinians merely want their own land back as well as equal rights.
Israel Announces More West Bank Settlements
The Israeli government has announced a new round of illegal settlement construction in the occupied West Bank. On Wednesday, Israel said it plans to build more than 500 new housing units in various West Bank settlements. Speaking to lawmakers, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said no Israeli administration has been friendlier to the settlements than his.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "There is no government that supports or will support settlements more than the government I lead. I also say that there is no government that withstood such heavy pressures that could harm settlement."
The new settlement building continues Israel’s stance of flouting a U.S.-backed pledge to stop West Bank expansion. In Washington, State Department spokesperson Mark Toner criticized Israel’s plan.
Mark Toner: "We’re very clear that continued Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank undermines peace efforts and contradicts Israeli commitments and obligations, including the 2003 roadmap. You know, our position on settlement — settlements remains unchanged. We do not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity."
[source: Democracy Now!]
Dorothea from Germany
You're against "any kind of violence" but you're OK with killing Israeli civilians.
I think you're a close rightie.
Eugenie, please read properly! Nowhere did I write that I am okay with killing Israeli civilians (or even military personnel). I merely stated that Palestinians have the legal right to defend themselves. However, I disapprove of the way some of them exercise this right. I am an advocate for peaceful resistance, e.g. the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
As pacifist, I am in a quandary when it comes to self-defence. On the one hand, I am against any kind of violence. On the other hand, I believe that people have the right to defend themselves in a reasonable way DURING an ACTUAL ATTACK by others. I use the term "self-defence" in its actual, strict sense. I really hate it that certain countries (e.g. USA and Israel) interpret "self-defence" so broadly that the actual meaning of the word gets lost. They even use euphemisms like "preemptive war" (e.g. when referring to the Iraq war or the possible Iran war), which is nothing but a pathetic attempt to make an offence sound like a defence and put the blame for the war on the victims of their attacks. The same applies to targeted killings: A "preventive" killing constitutes an offence, not a defence, and is therefore a human rights violation. Then there is the Afghanistan war, which isn't self-defence either, but an act of revenge.
Right-wingers are egomaniacs and constantly mistake own offence for defence as well as own revenge for justice.
Ha, ha. You wish!
I too was disheartened that anyone took the comments from last week's show the wrong way. We totally understood what Chris meant AND agreed wholeheartedly with him! Keep up your great work, Chris...we look forward to it every weekend!
Thank you for Jeremy Scahill. and the excellent guests.
As usually, Chris Hayes stocks his shows with NYC elites who seem to attend prep schools and Ivy League.
Of all of the guest, Only Mr. Herbert is a graduate of a public university. I guess Mr. hayes supports diversity more in the abstract than in reality.
Even when having a panel of veterans, Mr. Hayes's producers managed to find a gorup of private university graduates.
Wish I could get in the commentary on the show this morning. As one who has gone through this union-busting effort here in Ohio with SB 5, there is an important point to be made. One is that Wisconsin, like Ohio, manufactured this crisis through irresponsible tax cuts. These are deficits purposely created to create a crisis to force decisions that would not normally be made - it is disaster Republicanism. Second, it is dishonest to suggest that union members do not pay for benefits like health insurance and retirement. We do in nearly every single contract. In Ohio, for example, employees pay 13 percent directly and the rest is deferred compensation. No money is just "given" to the employee for retirement.
Randi Weingarten raised exactly the point you make.
Walkers manufactured "budget crisis" was a direct result of cutting the Corporate Tax Rate in the State. Once that was accomplished, Walker pushed news of the "crisis" out to the Public, and pointed to the Unions as the ones responsible. Once the Unions responded with "contrition and compromise", Walker knew he was on a "winning streak".
Classic propaganda tactics have enabled the Republicans in Wisconsin to demonize Public Sector Unions, and turn this discussion into the "debate" they wanted it to be, proving for them, that if you trust in the ignorance of the average voter, you'll seldom be disappointed.
We've seen the same "game plan" in my State. Arizona has cut Corporate Taxes repeatedly, and then pointed to projected "budget shortfalls" as being justification for cutting anything that they want to "get rid of" in entitlements.
This is the basic structure of the Republican Agenda all across this Country, and the voters seem to be oblivious to it.
Wake Up already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only 13% of the total working population are in a union!!!!!
And 6% of those workers are Government employees.
Notice how the wingbag teachers union leader hates the idea of "Right to Work"!!!!!
Take a guess what her salary is........ base pay $350,000 a year!!!!!
Well . YOUR name says it all! No, the base salary is NOT $350,000. Grow up. STOP with the talking points and CHECK YOUR FACTS. You are a fool to even COMMENT when you don't know them.
Her base pay is in fact $350,000 a year go check it out go to the American federated teachers union.
Next the numbers I posted about union memberships numbers are from the tAFL-CIO web site!!!!!
So my information is right from the unions...
She is the President of a major organization.
CEO's in this country in 1970 made about 25 times what their average worker made, now they make 500 times as much.
So what is your point, stupid???
$350K is cheap for a national union president. Most, if not all, bank presidents make more than that and contribute less to society.
If your argument is "She makes more than me, so we shouldn't listen to her" then your name, stupidita, is quite appropriate.
People power seems to be the problem in Wisconsin ,no matter how much enthusiasm there is for the progressive movement of workers in this recall.I do not understand why there seems to be so little people power being expressed as support for the recall from people outside the state. Money is one thing but I would have thought there would be huge labor events across the country this weekend. I guess if it is not my paycheck right now , nobody really cares.
Chris Hayes has the best show on TV (except for Rachel and Ed) and again I am held spellbound by his panel discussing Wisconsin. John Nichols has nailed the true meaning of the importance of the battle. It is people vs money.
John Nichols has nailed the true meaning of the importance of the battle. It is people vs money.
Why should tax payers pay for some union hacks retirement?? and health care??
Next a government union work pays dues, and that means the tax payer are paying dues.
The AFL-CIO is the largest $$$$$$ giver to the DNC, this means the tax payers now give money to the DNC,
Lets say you are a republican and work for the government, and in the union. Now you are giving money to eh DNC.
You need to read a little history about how unions emerged, and their necessity in the context of an unequal management/worker relationship. You should look at the relationship between a strong economy and a strong labor union movement. Republicans want to take us back to the good old days. Ask yourself how far back? To the 50s when unemployment was low, and we had a thriving middle class, coincidentally when unions were strong, or the 1890s, when children worked in factories and mines so the family could eat, the company store owned the lower class, there WAS no middle class, and coincidentally there were no strong unions?
Joyce D, agree with you about Chris but won't compare CH with Rachel, Ed & others; they all serve a specific need for different looks at progressive thinking. What a breath of fresh air!
Lest you failed to understand the gist of my comment I will clarify it to say that I like them all equally. I give trophies to all t ball players too. PS: I really like all three!
Nichols, said the race in WI is more important the race for the white house!!!!
What a moron.
I think he said "in many ways..." And he's right. In many ways it is a micro version, the lead up, to what will happen in November.
And wingbag again wnats to be the only one talking...... What a snake in the grass she is.
$350,000 a year off the backs of teachers, what a hero!!!
Geeez why does everyone forget, especially Chris, that facts are irrelevant when people are motivated by a HIGHER CAUSE. % unionized, mean wages vs CEO wages, come on guys, don't you watch FOX? the only news source for most of our neighbors, at least mine, in middleamericansuburbiaantifactantiscienceantiintellectantiwords longerthanfoourletters Amurica,my Amurica!
I'm glad he has Steele there. He epitomizes the fallacious thinking of much of what the right believes, and is a good foil to understand the other three. I really don't like when he has 4 guests who all agree with each other, in a mutual circle jerk. You need dissension for a well articulated discussion.
In large part, I agree with you. I can't stand Steele as a person, but he is a reliable voice for much of the "talking points" that the right relies on for their messaging.
He also is good for the occasional "wtf?" moment, such as "finally the right has the ability to organize "a grassroots movement" to challenge the organization of the left."
Grassroots movement?
We just saw, in the previous segment, how much of the $$$ for the Candidates was coming from OUTSIDE OF THE STATE. We just heard how much of the $$$ was coming from a small handful of WEALTHY DONORS.
Grassroots?
Whenever I see the busloads of people coming to the rallies (many from out of State), I can't help but wonder; how many of those (AFP) retiree's would sign up (in a heartbeat) for ANY TRIP sponsored by ANYONE who is willing to "foot the bill"?
Wasn't this kind of "organization" one of the "hits" leveled AGAINST UNIONS back in the 50's and 60's (when Unions would PAY for people to be out on the picket lines) that so damaged their credibility?
It seems we're forever caught in this cycle of "Perception = Reality", and until we can get out of it, this is how the game will be played. That will not happen until people make the conscious decision to not be "pawns" for either side.
God, I WISH you guys would stop having Michael Steele on. Whenever he's on ANY show, it always disintegrated to a screaming match. He is an intelligent man, but he always says SUCH outrageous things whenever he is in a panel discussion and then everybody tries to jump in to correct him. He is a TRUE distraction. If you want to talk to him, and sometimes he DOES have intelligent things to say, do it in a one-to-one interview.
I couldn't agree more with you about Michael Steele. He must have MSNBC blackmailed into having his horrible, grinning visage on every bloody MSNBC show on its schedule. He been on every show, from morn till night, for years now -- I think he got his start with "Hardball".
His comments are essentially worthless pap, he is a predictable Republican flak, as is the eternally boring Michelle Barnard, another Republican mouthpiece who was on so many MSNBC shows as Steele has been, since the last election cycle.
Is MSNBC so hard up for quality guests that they have to resort to these two, Steele and Barnard to show up repeatedly on every single show on its schedule?
Possibly MSNBC is having these same guests on over and over again on purpose in order to show just how weak and lame Democrats really are.
Otherwise, Up with Chris Hays and his guests have the very best, most thoughtful discussions on television.
Why do discussions of labor unions always center around money? Have we forgotten where the 8hr. work day, paid overtime, paid vacations, health and safety regulations, healthcare, etc. came from? Unions are not the boogyman the conservatives make them out to be.
Chris,
Regarding this mornings show.
Isn't editing a wonderful feature for any anchor. Heck, you can prove a point without having to lie or make up a "fact", but by just cutting out responses by an opponent as you did in the clip showing the Barret "strong statement" during the debate.
Editing out is one way to prove a point to the public where none can be made.
This would also include "editing out" the results of an programs instituted, in this case by Walker, if they have been successful.
The head of the teachers union, who must be paid very well for her job, rants about the money taken out of education. Well, where is her follow-up comment about the "results" of those funds being removed? How many teachers had to be fired, what was the impact on the students, how are student grades being impacted by these cuts?
I would love to hear her comments about the hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars the individual school districts are "saving" by just eliminating the middle man in the purchase of healthcare insurance by schools districts.
That 'middle man" was the teacher union that charged above market rates for those policies. Am I right or wrong on that? Hello...Chris, Chris, Chris Hayes where are you?
Why has union member ship gone down so severely since Walker's initiative to eliminate deduction of "union dues" from paychecks.
As a recent Wall Street Journal article leads..
"Public-employee unions in Wisconsin have experienced a dramatic drop in membership—by more than half for the second-biggest union—since a law championed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker sharply curtailed their ability to bargain over wages and working conditions."
WSJ D. Belkin and K. Maher
Its always fun to listen to progressive propaganda since with the growth of the internet and access to information, you all look a lot less intelligent and more sinister to the public with your misinformation.
'progressive propaganda'? HONESTLY? So your argument is that teachers should be self sacrificing, not make a living wage and NEVER negotiate over wages and benefits because the 'state' will take care of it? Talk about 'propaganda'. The unions negotiate for much more. Your argument is so incredibly simplistic and self serving that is hard to know where to begin.
'progressive propaganda'? HONESTLY? So your argument is that teachers should be self sacrificing, not make a living wage and NEVER negotiate over wages and benefits because the 'state' will take care of it? Talk about 'propaganda'. The unions negotiate for much more. Your argument is so incredibly simplistic and self serving that is hard to know where to begin.
Hello!!!! Where did I state that teacher should not make a living wage? And were did I comment that teachers should NEVER negotiate?
The typical "progressive" response to a comment that they seemingly can't respond honestly, is to create a negative, and than argue against their false premise.
Sorry, your play book worked for over fifty years. It just won't work any longer.
What are the facts that you think are relevant, or do you think "personal attacks" are going to work in 2012?
My facts are listed below, and if you can prove them wrong please educate me and anyone else interested in your point of view.
1. Scott Walker came into office with a huge budget deficit. Granted, he admits he could have taken more time to sell his program to the public, but it doesn't suggest his program was faulted.
The State's budget is balanced, no taxes were increased, there is a possibility of a $100,000,000plus budget "surplus" next year.
2. Walker eliminated the deduction of union dues from payroll checks. Given the opportunity to "opt out" Wisconsin union members dropped their dues payments and left the union in significant numbers. Membership in the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents teachers, fell to 28,745 in February from 62,818 in March 2011!
I kinda think that is a major vote by teachers.
3. Based on union concerns for teachers and the safety of their jobs, apparently did not take into consideration the economic health of the school districts and the increasing cost of education impact on taxes.
Please tell me how Scott Walker was vicious when his legislation took the union out of controlling healthcare insurance, charging above market rates.
Those districts that have opted to utilize this section of the law, not all have yet, have saved taxpayers upwards of $3,000,000 annually, with smaller districts saving about $300,000. Is that an issue with you?
The teachers receive the same benefit but hard working people in the private sector who pay the bills with their taxes have not seen a tax increase!
And that's a good thing, don't you agree?
Collective bargaining was a scam, and continues to be in States all over the country. Unless you can tell me that taxpayers are well represented when politicians sit down with union leaders to negotiate a contract, the same unions that have been major supporters of their campaigns over the years?
Surely you are not that naive?
The propaganda I mention goes beyond the discussion of the Wisconsin unjustified recall vote. Later in the show, there was a discussion about Florida and how one women from a lobby organization was so pleased that the Department of Justice had filed suit in Florida to stop the "purge" of voter lists.
She, Chris, and the others, including the phony MSNBC "House Republican" and former RNC Chairman, Michael Steele, never mentioned to the audience that the suit was filed to stop Florida from "purging illegal aliens" from voter lists.
If only the DOJ would give American citizens the same umbrella of Federal protection. Rather, this Administration "sues" American citizens trying to protect their families from the invasion of "illegal's" as we see in Arizona.
WSJ
Wisconsin unions see ranks drop ahead of recall vote
Wisconsin membership in the state's second-largest public-sector union fell to 28,745 in February from 62,818 in March 2011, according to a person who has viewed Afscme's figures
Michael Steele is articulating the view of unions from the 1930's. There is absolutely no argument that unions have contributed to ALL OF US having better wages, more say in our benefits and an overall better workplace. That the unions have been VERY strong in some areas is not in dispute. But where is the debate that they AGREED to union 'demands'. To act as if the 'bosses' were poor 'victims' feeds into the belief that the 'bosses' had no 'power'. When the owners decided they didn't want to PAY THE BENEFITS and wages that they had agreed to they decided to buy public opinion and say 'ALL UNIONS ARE BAD'. In Wisconsin, the 'public' unions agreed to EVERYTHING that Walker asked and STILL they had to be 'destroyed'. Lets not PRETEND this was anything other than the wealthy trying to get rid of an important voting block.
He (Steele) made the point that this is the first time unions came up against someone that disagreed. NO. The first time was in the late 19th century, after the industrial Revolution created a mass worker environment where the owners held all the cards and dictated workers rights. Trade unions arose to help equalize that relationship. Walker would have us go back to those times where the owners dictate worker rights. He forgets the history of trade unions.
Chris,
I get so disgusted when Michael Steele MONOPOLIZES all the time he has on a panel discussion. NO OTHER speaker gets ANY time. Tell him if he takes 75% of the time, in a panel of 4..he won't be invited back. He repeats the question and stalls until time runs out...instead of making his pont. He is RUDE by talking over OTHERS.
Steele does this on EVERY MSNBC show he speaks on.
It isn't just MSNBC, it is EVERY SHOW where Michael Steele is on a panel discussion. I'm going to turn off Chris now, because I don't watch his show for all this "drama".
Might I add that Michael Steel's chief job for the Republican Party is to be the "distractor". If anyone make a point that he thinks would hurt the Party's "platform" whatever it is at the moment, Steele creates a distraction so that you don't remember what the point was, you just remember Steele's actions. Every panel he's been on has been "ALL ABOUT STEELE" and never a good honest discussion of the issues.
However, when Steele is on a one-to-one discussion, I really like listening to him. I may not always agree with him, but he does a good job of representing his viewpoints!!!
I have to admit Steele rubs me the wrong way. Ed Rendell is starting to grate on me too. My favorite is Karen Finney. I wish she had a show. i can't think of anything I ever disagreed with her on.
At the last MLK parade in St Pete there were many voter registrations booths and people walking around asking people if they are registered to vote.
Next a convicted feloney can not buy a gun.. So lets them vote and buy guns...
Hayes stop with the race card already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is not true, you doipes keep beating this dead horse.
Why does everyone forget that facts are now irrelevant . Don,t you watch Fox?
Guys, stop with the facts already,totally worthless in the face of HIGHER POWERS(constitution, bible, republican,etc). PLEASE TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS. The sport watch'n, fox as their only news source, guntoting,folk who vote. And stop writing (great) books that only we read...