Althouse Says It All About AP's Coverage of Wis. Collective Bargaining Vote
Here is how the Associated Press and reporter Scott Bauer headlined and opened their 10:09 p.m. report (saved here at host for future reference, fair use and discussion purposes) on the Wisconsin Senate's collective bargaining-related vote tonight:
Wis. GOP bypasses Dems, cuts collective bargaining
The Wisconsin Senate succeeded in voting Wednesday to strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from public workers, after Republicans discovered a way to bypass the chamber's missing Democrats and approve an explosive proposal that has rocked the state and unions nationwide.
The graphic cap below from this post by Ann Althouse, who has been on the scene in Madison frequently during the past few weeks, says it all about the AP's coverage:
Yep.
Since Scott Bauer has been so blatantly biased during these past few weeks (as seen here and here) and has made it abundantly clear where he stands on these matters -- instead of doing his who-what-where-when-why job -- maybe Ann should send her cameraman Meade out one final time to ask Scott how he feels about his three-week distortion campaign thus far going for naught.
If the nation had to solely rely on Bauer and his establishment press ilk for information about what has really been happening in the Badger State, the stalemate might be going the other way. Viva New Media.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
UPDATE, 11:30 p.m.: Revised "might have gone" to "might be going" in the last paragraph, and "having gone for naught" to "thus far going for naught" in the second-last paragraph.
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Comments
The adults have made the
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Wed, 03/09/2011 - 11:50pm.
The adults have made the decisions and the kids are whining. I'm gonna get me some popcorn and set back to watch the fireworks.Precisely.
Submitted by johnsonl on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 8:15am.
Oh, no ! Mom and Dad are home! Let's go hide!!someone at the door? Look for the union label
Submitted by MidAmerica on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 12:04am.
It will be interesting to see how the 'peaceful' union protesters react to this.
I watched a Wisconsin state senator talk to Greta and he explained that after the vote the Republicans were escorted out of the building with police protection and this particular senator left Madison altogether for safety. He didn't say but i bet he took his family with him for their safety. You know, I don't remember any congress person or senator needing to flee for their safety because of a Tea Party protest.
Nor do I
Submitted by Tom Blumer on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 12:19am.
Newsmax has a story on what you noted here.no longer invertebrates?
Submitted by MidAmerica on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 12:29am.
Conservatives have complained for years that Republicans did not have any backbone. Well it seems that quite a few are getting some serious calcium deposits.Apparently it's not over though
Submitted by Tom Blumer on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 12:37am.
If I'm reading things correctly, they have to circle back to the House to get it to agree again on what the Senate just did. Meanwhile, per an Althouse commenter here via Instapundit, Capitol occupiers "intend to physically keep the legislature from assembling tomorrow to vote. Mob rule ..."SPLC
Submitted by MidAmerica on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 12:45am.
I'm sure the Southern Poverty Law Center is keeping track of this anti-democracy mob that is prone to domestic terrorism..New Campaign
Submitted by jaywl on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 12:21am.
One of the lost Dems was interviewed by Greta after the vote. He gave away the new mantra we will hear over and over. He managed to squeeze in "Stolen our Democracy" at least four times in a short interview. He used it and variants (Take back our...) even when it was awkward. Based on that silly performance the people hired to manage this thing (some DC consulting group no doubt) has already whiteboarded the next phase. Look forward to lawsuits about open meetings, more recalls, ethics complaints and "They've Stolen our Democracy!"Who's holding the pitchforks, NOW, Obama?
Submitted by ChrisNH on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 12:32am.
You weren't 'clinging' onto them tight enough, I guess. And now you're 'bitter.' This is where the cement on your disastrous legacy quickly hardens.Bolsheviks?
Submitted by neutron on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 2:29am.
From the scott bauer AP article: "In 30 minutes, 18 state senators undid 50 years of civil rights in Wisconsin. Their disrespect for the people of Wisconsin and their rights is an outrage that will never be forgotten," said Democratic Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller. "Tonight, 18 Senate Republicans conspired to take government away from the people." Hmmm... If I remember right, the Bolsheviks were the MINORITY Party in Russia when they overthrew the Majority party in the Marxist Revolution. The H.R. PuffingStuff Post chimed "“Walker claims to speak for the people, but has no mandate..." Isn't this the 1st time in history that Wisconsin voters gave both chambers and the State House to the Republicans? If anyone is ignoring the will of the people, negating the democratic process, accepting the outcome of elections, and disrespecting the civil rights of the voters, it is the Democrats of Wisconsin! If anyone is playing "Bolshevik" here, it's the Democrats, who seem to like Marx, anyhow.oops!
Submitted by neutron on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 2:32am.
(where did the CR/LFs go?) Also, "accepting" should have been "not accepting"Fire them all and have a job fair
Submitted by neutron on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 2:46am.
If I were Walker, I would fire ALL public union workers, eliminating seniority. Then I would have a job fair to hire back people who have good work performance. If those new or returning employees want to join a union, let it happen, under the new rules put in place by the duly elected government of Wisconsin.
The last time I checked, Wisconsin State Senator Miller is not the Governor of Wisconsin, nor the President of the United States, nor a god from Mt Olympus. He's just one guy in charge of 13 other AWOL idiots who can't bear the results of the election. Hey! Didn't Feingold lose his US Senate seat in that election?
Fire them all. It can't be any more chaos than the current circus act protest going on in Madison!
Stolen What?
Submitted by PJMan on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 5:26am.
Stolen the democracy? This is a Republic, and the dems sold their souls!You are right, this is a Republic,
Submitted by Agnostic on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 8:43am.
The Liberals have been trying to effectively change it in to a Democracy for decades now by removing more and more people from the list of tax payers and then inciting these people to vote. IMHO, if the polling numbers (unfavorable to Republican Senators) in Wisconsin are even partially accurate this is far from finished. There will still be court battles, recall elections and various stalling tactics. If the polling numbers are complete lies then the media will lose interest in Wisconsin very quickly.
Funny how we never heard about the Wisconsin Senators "shutting down the government" by actually fleeing the state to shut down the government but there has already been talk about the Republicans "shutting down the government "at the federal level when they are there doing the job they were elected to do.
When in America did running away from an ideological fight make you a hero the way the media and the unions have presented these Senators? Don't stand up for what you believe - run away - let the unions and paid political organizers do your job for you is now considered courageous? The Senators don't care about the state or the people - just about maintaining the political status quo and of course filling the Democrats coffers with money from union dues so they can vote more union benefits.
Democracy is about majority rule. 'Mob Rule' is about the minority being able to use emotions to create a majority rule. If the Republicans cannot hold on in Wisconsin we will not have a Republic in Wisconsin, we will not have a Democracy in Wisconsin, what we will have is a minority of people (many not from the state) in the media, union leaders and their list of paid organizers using emotions and rhetoric to create the illusion of majority rule - that is a mob.
They're Just Mad..
Submitted by GeneralAl on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 7:44am.
They're just mad because the Republicans and Walker beat them at their own game. They were given over three weeks to take part in the debate. Instead they fled like a bunch of sissies and starting whipping up the protests as well as starting recall votes against the Republicans. Now they'll be seem as cowards instead of heroes because they weren't there taking part in the fight!"Old Soldiers never die, they just fade away"!
These dems and journolists are delusional!! Really, really ...
Submitted by NavyBuckeye on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 7:30am.
delusional. The citizens elected these people on the campaign promises that they would do what they are actually doing. And now these media pundits and childish Democrat Senators are calling this a stolen democracy. For one if they want to play word games democracy was stolen when they fled the state to prevent vote. But don't let that fact smack you in the face senators. And to top it off, all most all of the workers (private company, no union, here in CT) where I work (with the exception of a few who are uber liberals, all hippy woman in thier 60's) are on the side of Governor Walker and wish our sorry ass Governor Malloy would follow in his and Christie's footsteps. Insteaqd Malloy is going in the opposite direction. And ironically manufacturing has declined in CT the past two months he has been in office. But it must just be a coincidence. To quote Obambi "We won!"Dems learn how it's supposed to work.
Submitted by BikerHoop on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 7:58am.
And they ain't liking it one bit! This time, attempting to change the rules didn't work. The process kept on moving even though they took their ball and went... oh, that's right... they didn't go home, they ran away like a buncha spoiled brats. And now that the rest of the players continued the game until it was finished they are whining because they didn't get to play. Heck, they even sent in the bullies to try to keep them from playing. That didn't work, either. So now what do they do? They spout their diatribe about how "democracy was stolen". What a crock! THEY are the ones who tried to prevent the processes. Where were they when Obama, Pelosi and Reid stuffed Obamacare down our throats? Didn't hear them yelling about that. Or when the stimulus vote was forced... not a word. Seems to me their game is "do as I say, not as I do". Most folks grow out of that at about age ten.I want to see the number
Submitted by johnsonl on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 8:19am.
of public union members who quit the union over the next year, including those who simply stop paying dues. Obamao's reelection funding is drying up...Kudos to AP.
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 10:17am.
I'm with Walker and the Repubs on the issues and agree AP's prior reporting failed at times to adequately identify and explain the nature and extent of the collective bargaining rights at risk--as Tom has ably and appropriately noted--but this article is an outstanding example of fair and balanced reporting and serves to at least partially redeem Bauer's earlier lapses.
In fact, if there is any questionable phrasing or terminology, it would be the choice to use buzzwords such as "fled" and "exile" as if the Democratic legislators were escaping felons making a mad dash for the border with a posse hot on their heels. But, GOOD eventually triumphed when clever Republican lawmakers skillfully "outmaneuvered" the absent miscreants.
Neither Mr. Blumer nor Ms. Altman should have any complaints with this article.
Jer
Wrong
Submitted by Tom Blumer on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 11:09am.
1) "Nearly all" -- Loaded and I believe inaccurate term ("most" is probably more accurate). Of course three weeks ago, Bauer was writing that the bill would "eliminate collective bargaining," so I guess this is progress.
2) "Discovering" and "Bypass" -- implies a "shazam" moment. My understanding is that GOP legislators and Walker have known about this tactic for weeks, but didn't want to have to use it, but recalcitrant fleebaggers forced their hand. "Utilizing a little-used parliamentary maneuver" would be accurate.
3) "Missing" -- as if they haven't fled voluntarily and have instead been kidnapped or something. "Absent" or a synonym would be the correct word.
The words Althouse's commenter flagged demonstrate that Bauer isn't even trying to be fair.
Elsewhere in the report:
- "budget-repair bill" written in scare quotes; not appropriate unless he's quoting someone (but he didn't name anyone, so I don't think so), or unless he's quoting the name of a bill (but it's not upper-case, so that doesn't fly).
- Waiting 11 paragraphs, after giving demonstrators and objecting Dems 8-9 paragraphs to spout their, before giving Walker's side of the argument.
And a bonus, pathetic grammar: "The Senate requires a quorum to take up any measures that spends money."
Althouse and Blumer have plenty of valid complaints.
Now there's a loud sound in the morning!
Submitted by jon_torlin on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 11:18am.
I think I heard that smack clear all the way to south Texas, Mr. Blumer.
Only thing louder was a quarry explosion that happened in the Canyon Lake/San Antonio area about a decade or so ago that could be heard for hundreds of miles.
-Jon
jon, my friend...
Submitted by Jer on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 1:49pm.
That ear-splitting "smack" you heard was actually Tom's attempted rebuttal landing with a resounding thud.;-)
Jer
... on your forehead ...
Submitted by Tom Blumer on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 2:55pm.
Utterly lacking in specific rebuttals to proven points, you declare victory. Your comment is a tacit admission is that the argument is over, that you lost. It's too late for a comeback.Nope
Submitted by jon_torlin on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 2:56pm.
That wasn't a thud, and that was a very nice rebuttal. It worked.
-Jon
Clear Conscience?
Submitted by jon_torlin on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 10:17am.
Well, looks like the Dems won't be coming out of this without a "Clear Conscience" after running away just because they couldn't get their way. Someone forgot to tell those A-holes that the people voted the Dems AND the Republicans into office. But guess what, the Republicans have the majority because of the people of Wisconsin!
Imagine that!
I'm really tired of these morons and morons like them breaking the rules every which way just because they can't get their own way. I hope they make those fines stick and I hope they get other forms of punishment coming to them, they really shouldn't do crap like this with impunity.
-Jon
"They've stolen our democracy"
Submitted by CO2Maker on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 10:29am.
"Look, Greta. This is outrageous. While we were hiding here in Illinois so the Wisconsin senate cannot conduct business,the remaining senators used a standing procedure to complete the legislation that we didn't want them to pass. Elections have consequences, you know. And if the majority Republican senators think they can pass a bill that we oppose, but we don't have enough votes to defeat, well, we exercise our freedom to run away to another state so those mean Republicans can't do that. But they did! They've stolen the democracy we were trying to hide from them! The nerve!"Not a right
Submitted by CrazyHungarian on Thu, 03/10/2011 - 11:54am.
She missed the biggest bias phrase in the article: Collective Bargaining is not a right. If it were, it would be in the Bill of Rights.