I had prepared for quite a different blog today. Last evenings events changed all of that. Here is what happened: And here is the statement from Governor Walker: "The Senate Democrats have had three weeks to debate this bill and were offered repeated opportunities to come home, which they refused. In order to move the state forward, I applaud the Legislature's action today to stand up to the status quo and take a step in the right direction to balance the budget and reform government. The action today will help ensure Wisconsin has a business climate that allows the private sector to create 250,000 new jobs."

This is all very real and very dangerous to a democracy such as ours. The Wisconsin GOP, led by Walker have stopped pretending this is a budget crisis. They have admitted that this was always about busting the Unions. Yesterday, in an interview on FOX News, State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) confirmed it: This never was about repairing a budget, it was all about granting more power to corporations, and stripping power from the working class. It was about taking rights AWAY from people. I am of heavy heart today.

I don't know what to say anymore. This will not end until people get up and pay attention. What will it take? I no longer want to hear the calls for someone like Sarah Palin to run because as some segments on the left say "It will be so easy to defeat her" -- last year people said that about almost every damn teabagging candidate, including Scott Walker.

Well it wasn't easy to defeat them. Not with the likes of the Koch Brothers, Dick Armey, Freedom Works and the US Chamber of Commerce - just to name a few - providing massive campaign financing. It wasn't easy to defeat them with the heinous Citizens United ruling. It certainly wasn't easy when the calls from some progressives to not vote were heeded. We lost the independent vote to apathy. On top of that, we have people like James O'Keefe and Andrew Breitbart. They - along with Fox News - are fully into the propaganda game. There is plenty blame to go around. Remember that phrase, 'Watch what you wish for, you might get it'; well - it's a nice way to say I told you so.

The real question is: will people finally wake up? I pray it isn't too late for this nation. I pray because between Wisonsin, Michigan, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Idaho and many other states, the Tea Party/GOPorations have taken a serious foothold on state and local levels. What happened last night in Wisconsin was about as close to a coup d'etat as I have seen in my life, in THIS nation. I do not say that lightly.

I have taken special care to not be overly hyperbolic on this blog. I do not prescribe to NWO conspiracies, I try to not throw around words like "Nazi" and "Fascism" here. It's too easy to use those words, which ultimately only takes away the power they have. Not everything is completely fascist. It's easy to pick and choose something unpleasing and attach the word to it to fit a narrative. This is why I don't like to over use the term. Today, it is time to review the those points. There are serious elements of fascism with regard to Wisconsin and other states. ELEMENTS -- not totality.

What happened yesterday was NOTHING of what a representative government is supposed to look like. In a democracy, there is something called 'consent of the governed', there are laws and traditions in place that should never be disregarded. Yesterday, they weren't just disregarded, they were shredded apart. They may have won the elections, but they are choosing not to govern. Instead they have scapegoated teachers for their cause -- which is to protect and expand corporate power. They have shown a disdain for the labor movement. They are defunding the art and humanities. They are dismantling the middle-class, state by state. Unions are just one target. Women and minorities are among the others. Also among their targets: the Right to Vote: It's not just New Hampshire. Wisconsin and South Carolina are going after the right to vote as well.

People NEED to vote, people need to be informed. Wisconsin and Ohio have already been taken -- unless you get active, your state may very well be next. The people of Wisconsin - a state rich in history of worker's right's - never thought it could happen to them, and yet it did. Apathy is a dangerous thing.

I cannot stress it enough: this stuff matters. It matters like life and death.

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