Ancient History

1954: a booster pamphlet published by a local Michigan newspaper could boast about this—

That publication credited organized labor, along with strong public services, as contributors to the state's prosperity.

More of those old-fashioned notions here.

Today, meanwhile: State House fait accompli.

Enacted by record stealth and speed, when January looms, and the lame [why insult ducks?] extremists would lack the votes.

Then:

Governor Snyder signed the bill in the secrecy of his office or a closet or wherever else he goes to deal with the shame of turning his state into Indiana or Mississippi or Bangladesh because he wasn't tough enough to stand up to Dick DeVos.

The latter being Michigan's version of Koch ownership.

Quel suprise; as in Koch-owned Wisconsin, "The bill passed today takes language verbatim from ALEC's model legislation."

In Wisconsin, police and firefighters understood that, even if Scott Walker promised to exempt their unions, their rights most certainly would be next on the chopping block.

Wisconsin firemen, February 2011 (photo here).

Today, Michigan state police were busy protecting the Republicans inside the Romney Building...

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

... from evildoers.

(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

The usual suspects staged a "union thugs" incident ready for handing to the noise machine, and from there into mainstream consciousness.

After previously pretending not to push anti-union legislation, this is the current footwork:

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) defended his state's right-to-work legislation on Wednesday, saying it will lead to more jobs and give workers "freedom of choice."
"I don't believe this is actually anti-union," he said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "If you look at it, I believe this is pro-worker."
MSNBC's Richard Wolffe pressed the governor on the legislation, saying the it "undermines" the ability for unions to organize.
"This does not deal with organizing at all," Snyder responded. "This does not deal with collective bargaining at all. This has nothing to do with the relationship between an employer and a union. This is about the relationship between unions and workers. And this is about giving workers the power to choose."

Back in the world of facts and their liberal bias, there's this background—including some of that outmoded historical context.