Clearing the Browser Tabs - Union Beatdown Monday Edition

Well, this weekend in Wisconsin went pretty much as we figured it would. The progressives attempted a gigantic nationwide rally, which fizzled (via memeorandum), the protesters who did show up let fly with the vitriol, racism, and physical violence of which the right has been accused since at least the very first Tea Party rally, police officers pledged to commit insurrection, and the MSM managed not to report any of the bad stuff at all.

I know I’ve written quite a bit about the teachers’ union protests over the past two weeks, but there’s a reason. Our states are choking on the promises made by politicians who knew full well they would not be around when the bills came due. Nevertheless, the public sector unions insist that we taxpayers honor those bad-faith pledges that grant them benefits far far more lucrative than what most of us could ever get, and they’re perfectly willing to use threats, intimidation, and violence to make sure we do. In the past, their strategy would have worked.

But that, as they say, was then and this is now. We have found both our voice and our power. The public sector unions and the Democratic politicians who rely on them for big campaign donations have miscalculated. Glenn Reynolds puts his finger squarely on their mistake in this introduction to this must-read Michael Barone piece.

And now (a few more), links!

• According the the head of the AFL-CIO, the very thing to create tons of awesome new jobs is a big gasoline tax increase. Because, you know, that stimulus did such a bang-up job.
• The NEA has a fever, and the only cure is more members’ dues for lobbying!
• Victor Davis Hanson compared the job of teaching to several other jobs, such as farmer and truck driver, and finds, well, read it for yourself.
• R.I.P. Duke Snider, baseball legend and resident in the heart of any faithful Dodgers fan.
• Were I a book publisher, this article about how independent authors are making bank by self-publishing their books in electronic form, would scare the bejeezus out of me (via mediagazer).
• If you’re interested in catching a glimpse of the solar sail satellite NanoSail-D, here’s how you can do it.

Tags: Linky Love