All In A Day's Work

OK: it took two or three days, that frenzy of legislative ramming that ended the week in Michigan.

Or, make that "Michissippi," as Charles Pierce now calls it—over stuff like this.

Commenter Rick Massimo added—

Gee, the Michigan legislature is working awfully hard all of a sudden. It's like they're up against a deadline of some kind. I cannot imagine what it could possibly be.

Whatever it is that poses as representative government has quickly gone beyond words I can find. Add to it this bit of timing; emptywheel, writing December 14—

There is absolutely horrifying news coming out of Newtown, CT, where 27 people–18 of them young children–are reported dead in a gun rampage.

The President's spokesperson, Jay Carney has already said today is not the day to talk about gun control laws.

Can we talk about this, then? A bill passed in the MI legislature's last day frenzy last night will expand concealed carry to include schools, day care centers, churches, and stadia.

Reporting on the bill's "sweeping changes" for formerly "gun-free zones" here.

Digby, on the Michigan bill, and on

...a gun worshiping culture that has morphed into an unimaginable level of barbarism. And apparently we are all just the idiot victims in the boiling water not able to recognize that America is killing itself one kid at a time.

Among their many accomplishments this week, the legislature undid the voters' rejection last month of power grab "emergency managers," appointed by the governor to oust elected local governments.

In his 2010 race for governor, former Gateway CEO Snyder's "One Tough Nerd" branding no doubt played on the "Bill Gates walks into a bar" psychology—elect him, and the average Michigan income will soar. Of course, the guy was also marketed as a "moderate" and "problem-solver."

The travesty in Michigan is the same old stuff, instigated by the likes of Dick DeVos and the Kochs (through their "Americans for Prosperity"), using "model legislation" provided by ALEC. More details on the players and the "right to work" law they paid for here.

Another state; another version of Scott Walker, "the goggle-eyed homunculus hired by Koch Industries to manage their Midwest subsidiary formerly known as the state of Wisconsin."

Way back here, Brother Snyder got a shout-out during Walker's chat with "David Koch"—

WALKER... I talked to Kasich every day, you know John's got to stand firm in Ohio. I think we can do the same thing with Rick Scott in Florida, I think Snyder if he got a little more support could probably do that in Michigan. We start going down the list, you know, there’s a lot of us new governors that got elected to do something, big.

KOCH: You're the first domino.

WALKER: Yep. This is our moment.