Michigan is the New Wisconsin

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is the most famous of the union-busting Kochsuckers. But the same thing is happening in Ohio, Florida and Michigan, among other states. The Right is getting better and better at creating nationwide corporate-funded stealth campaigns disguised as spontaneous “grass roots” movements.

2009 was famous for those orchestrated choreographed “demonstrations” against health care reform. This year, the red states just happen to be simultaneously passing legislation to destroy unions, disenfranchise voters and other Far Right causes.

Here’s the latest underhanded sleazefest from Michigan: Governor Rick Snyder has signed a law to shorten the length of time for unemployment benefits. Michigan has one of the country’s highest unemployment rates, and their unemployment rate has been higher than 10% for longer than any other state. How’s that Compassionate Conservative thingy workin’ out for ya?

Even more despicable than the law itself is the slippery underhanded method for passing the law. The wording for the law was quietly inserted into a bill that was allegedly going to preserve and increase unemployment benefits. Like the old saying goes, “the large print giveth and the fine print taketh away.”

Rep. Sander Levin (D—Michigan) said:

“It turns the clock back 50 years at a time when unemployment is at historic highs since the Depression. I think that Michigan should not be to unemployment insurance what Wisconsin has become to collective bargaining.”

Michigan voters — start cranking up the recall machinery and get those two-faced corporate prostitutes out of there.

And there’s more news from Michigan. Remember when the Freedom of Information Act was something conservatives hated and kept trying to eliminate? They didn’t want the riffraff finding out about things that were best left to CEOs and their congressional errand boys.

Now suddenly, the Right has flipflopped and decided the Freedom of Information Act is just hunky dory. A group of shadowy rightwing donors has made a massive FOIA request for e-mail records from the labor relations departments at three different Michigan universities.

They want access to all e-mails that contain any reference to “Scott Walker,” “Madison,“ “Wisconsin,” “Rachel Maddow,” and any references to collective bargaining in Wisconsin.

Roland Zullo, a University of Michigan professor, said:

“This is a way that they're going after folks they don't agree with, I suppose. I see it just simply as part of the political environment we exist in right now.”